The Gift of Grace

Help Make A Difference...

2009-09-22T08:06:00.004-04:00

I have had such a busy year and one thing that fell by the wayside was this blog.

It seems like this week is the week to catch up on some of the things I haven't found the time for in a long time.

Right now I am busy supporting my 12 year old daughter Rachel raise money for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) she was diagnosed this past April.
Pain in her side sent her to the ER where tests revealed cysts throughout both kidneys. So after many tests and doctors visits we are still learning about PKD and how it will impact her life.

PKD is one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases, affecting 600,000 Americans and 12.5 million people worldwide.In fact, it affects more people than Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and sickle cell anemia --combined! Still, few people know about it. There is no treatment and no cure... YET.

We are walking to change that.

Rachel learned about the PKD foundation and decided she wanted to become involved & take an active role in raising money and awareness. At Rachel's request I set up a team & we are participating in the Walk for PKD – the Foundation’s signature fundraising event. She has set a challenging personal goal of $1500 and a $3000 team goal to raise money to fund vital patient education and research into a treatment and a cure. Let's help her get there!

You can check out her page here

We are getting a team together and walking for a cure on:
Mercer County Park
West Picnic Area
1638 Old Trenton Road
Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
Registration: 10:00 AM
Penny Kid's Dash: 10:45 AM
Walk Starts: 11:00 AM
Walk Distance: 1.5 or 3 Miles

Together, we can make a real difference.

You can make a secure donation online by simply clicking the links at the bottom of this message. Whatever you can give will make an impact - no donation is too small! I truly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on our team's progress.
If you are inerested in walking please join our team "Ray's Kidney Beans"...we would love to have a huge crowd at the event! Rachel is working on designing a team t-shirt and plans to give one to all her team members.

Thank you for helping us find a cure for PKD!

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-07T23:16:00.002-05:00

I can hardly believe I haven't blogged in over a month. I have been very busy with my coaching business, family, the holidays, and just life in general.

2008 was a great year and I am looking forward to more adventures in 2009!

I am not much for New Year's resolutions, but I think maybe I will make one little one to blog more often...lol...but you know how most resolutions go.

I hope you all are doing well and wish you a fabulous 2009!!

My Upcoming Book Study

2008-12-01T12:17:00.005-05:00

As most of you know I have started my own coaching business. I am enjoying my course work and busy getting my coaching hours. This is part of the Academy for Coaching Excellence certification program I am enrolled in. You can check out my coaching website here.

I have noticed that in these tough economic times many of my friends and family have expressed negative feelings or fear around money. In response to these concerns I am offering a book study on Maria Nemeth's book, The Energy of Money. In this course you will build a powerful relationship with money, blending spiritual and practical techniques. The course will be offered as a telecourse, making it easily available to most people. See the flyer below for details. Please spread the word among your friends and family. The principles covered in this book are useful to all of us. Also, a diverse group makes for an even more interesting course.

Thanks to all of you.

I hope you will join me.

Let me know if you are interested or would like more information.

I will post more later on some scrapbook projects I am working on.

Twilight Midnight Madness

2008-11-21T08:33:00.004-05:00

I have been on a mission to find a book that would hook my 11 year old daughter who is dyslexic enough to have her want to read for pleasure. When someone has a learning difference it can sometimes be difficult to get them to develop a love for reading. So when I heard about the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer I thought I should give it a try.

I went out and bought the first book, Twilight. I decided that since it was a teen book I should read it first to be sure it was appropriate. Well, once I started I couldn't stop reading until I finished the book in under three days. It was just such a fun read. I handed it over to Rachel and it was the most amazing thing ...my little girl who has always struggled with reading got sucked in to the story and was reading every chance she got. This is no little book. It is about 500 pages. She was so thrilled to tell me what part she was on and report how many pages she had read. What a transformation!

I knew the movie was coming out soon and this gave me an idea. I would offer to take both girls to the midnight showing on the release day as a reward for finishing the book. Rachel finished in plenty of time and handed the book off to Kailey who was able to finish it just hours before the movie was released.

Last night, or technically first thing this morning we headed over to the theater. Kailey, Rachel, and I were surprised by how many people were there. We arrived at 11:15PM and we had to search for a place for us all to sit together. More than half of the people there were wearing Twilight t-shirts.

Everyone in the theater was excited and it reminded me a bit of going to see Rocky Horror Picture Show as a kid...minus the water guns and toast. People were rowdy, laughing, clapping, and generally having a good time.

The movie was a bit of a disappointment as is often the case when seeing a movie made of a book you love. The characters rarely live up to what your imagination has created.

What was so fun and fabulous about the whole experience was hearing my girls discussing the book as compared to the movie. Hearing their obvious enjoyment of reading. I loved that they thought it was so special and cool to be out late at night with their mom. I hope they remember this for a long time...I know I will.

How well do you think you know me...

2008-11-10T09:28:00.003-05:00

Debbie, a friend of mine who was tagged by Kim, also a friend and one of Crop Addict's Creative Team members, tagged me.

Even though we've all been tagged several times this year, I think it is always fun to find out a few more things about our friends.

Here are the 7 things you may not know about me:

1) I recently started my own business and I am in the process of becoming certified as a professional Life Coach. You can find out more about it on my website...Grace Coaching and Consulting.

2) I really dislike watermelon. Something about the texture is just yucky to me. Although I love watermelon flavored things. One of my favorites are Watermelon Jolly Ranchers.

3) I have the most romantic husband ever. A few times of month we have date night and he cooks gourmet meals for me. He has been teaching himself to cook and it has been so much fun.
My favorite recipe so far was the scallops with roasted corn salsa...yummy!!

4) Clutter is attracted to me. I love a neat and organized house and I am constantly trying to keep it neat and everything in its place. Yet clutter still seems to find me every time. Recently I have learned to be more peaceful about it.

5) I won a poetry contest when I was 10 years old. The poem was published in the local paper and I received a $50 savings bond. Even now 30 years later I think that is pretty cool...lol.

6) I am an amateur face painter. I taught myself a few years ago so I could work at a street fair for my Rotary Club to raise money for flood victims in the town of Bound Brook, New Jersey. I really love it and have considered doing kids parties for extra money.

7) I have a dream to own a home in Costa Rica. I participated and also lead a number of mission trips there. We worked in the rain forest, fishing villages, and an orphanage. While I was there I fell in love with the country and the people there.

So now, onto 7 more people to share 7 things about themselves...Sorry if you have been recently tagged as well...but here it goes...

Gabi

Morgan

Jenn

Jennifer & Amy

Carla

Nicole

Can't wait to see what 7 things you all share!!

Boo!!

2008-11-01T18:59:00.004-04:00

I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog. I have been a bad bad blogger. Usually though that means I am way to busy with fun stuff in my life to even put anything up here. So I guess that is not such a bad thing.

Well anyway...so sorry...here are some Halloween pictures of the kids.

We had a fabulous time and the kids got way too much candy as always.

That is Caleb on the left and Connor on the right

Rachel lying dead on the sidewalk. Our very own zombie prom queen. I had so much fun with the make-up. The wound is a toilet paper glued to her face and painted. Totally cool.

Just had to throw in the close-up. I was so amazed at hopw well this came out. Really super creepy I thought.

Kailey is Rachel's first victim...you know zombies love to bite people.

Kailey was the prettiest prisoner on the block.

Our gang with two friends ready to go out and collect the loot. Kim, Alexandra, Rachel, Kailey, Caleb, and Connor.

Dancing my way into my skinny jeans!

2008-07-13T22:56:00.003-04:00

OK I have decided to try a new approach to exercise. Don't laugh...but I am dancing my way to better fitness. I have traditionally been treadmill girl, but the results just haven't been what i was looking for, plus I hated every minute of it.

So one day while playing on the XBOX 360 with the girls we decided to throw in Dance Dance Revolution. The next thing I knew two hours had gone by & I was a sweaty mess. It was super fun.

So pretty much everyday for the last month I have been getting up early to dance. Since it is a game I keep wanting to beat another level or my last score or whatever the challenge is. So the hour just flies by. The best part is I am losing weight...woo hoo.

So you may laugh, but I will be laughing all the way into my skinny jeans!!

I am so excited!!!

2008-07-01T18:50:00.002-04:00

I have been dying to share the news...

I decided to reapply for the Crop Addict Design Team for another term and I am proud to say,

"I made it!!"

I am really excited. The kits have been so much fun and now I don't have to give them up.

Speaking of kits, here is some of what I made with the July kit...

I made all of this & I still have plenty more to play with. The papers ans embellishments were totally cool this month.

Don't forget to check out Scrapdragon...the challenge this month is a bit different!!

The Crazy Days of Summer...

2008-06-29T00:18:00.003-04:00

It is funny I always look forward to school ending so that I can have a free summer full of fun. So how come it always feels like summer is filled with so much activity that I can barely catch my breath??

Friday was one of those days.

I had a meeting at 7:30am for this big project I am involved in. It is really exciting, but I will share more about it in the next few months.

Then I had to get home and get some work done for my life coaching business, Grace Coaching & Consulting.

Then it was hurry up to feed the kids & get Connor, Kailey, & Rachel off to swim team practice.

Then it was hurry up over to the orthodontist to get Caleb's braces put on.

Check out these before & after photos...

Then hurry back to the pool to pick up the three from practice & get them all some lunch.

Then it was get everyone ready for the big swim team kick-off party. I am swim team manager this year so I had some copies to make & wanted to get there a bit early for any set-up that might need to get done.

But before we could head over to the pool...Caleb had another doctors appointment to get his burn looked at. He was out on his dad's motorcycle and got an awful burn on his leg... good news though it is healing nicely.

We finally got to the pool around 4PM to start getting ready. Festivities started at 6PM. We had pizza and a DJ. The kids had a blast.

Here are a few shots of my kids at the party...

Rachel in a dance contest with a few of her friends.

Connor getting ready for some pizza

Kailey looking cute as ever

I am happy to say the kick-off party was a great success and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Oh!! I better add this on before I forget...Scrapdragons has something cool going on so go check it out!!

From Junk Yards to Golf Courses...

2008-06-23T23:53:00.004-04:00

OK you know the house in your neighborhood where the grass is too long, their are weeds everywhere, the driveway needs to be repaved, & there are always kids toys everywhere? Well, guess what?!!? In my neighborhood that would be my house. It is really awful. I joke that our yard looks like Sanford & Son. I can even hear that crazy funky music as I watch the opening credits with Lamont & Sanford driving around in that old pick up in my head. The other image I have is the Addams Family all overgrown & crazy looking. The funny thing is when the yard is cleaned up it really looks great. I just can't seem to keep up anymore with all the other things going on. So we are on the search for a landscaper. Since David has a back injury he can no longer help me out around the yard. I am not sure why, but not being able to do it myself is making me sad. I don't want to keep doing it, but somehow I feel sad about letting it go.

I got a new hair cut. It is way short for me, but I am liking it. I think it will be way cute for summer.

I took these two shots with my phone so you all can see...

One day I styled it under the next with a little flip.Gotta love fun hair for summer!!

Last week Kailey & Rachel were in a golf clinic at one of the local Somerset County Golf Courses. The Neshanic Valley Golf Course offers a juniors program for 5 days two hours a day. The girls had a great time & did very well. My Dad & Marguerite got Rachel a new set of golf clubs for an early birthday present & she was just so excited to try them out.

Here are some pictures of the girls from one of the nights. They look so cute & very serious.

Well that is it for now...good night all!

Bad Bad Blogger!!

2008-06-16T23:25:00.003-04:00

Wow...when I came on here to post I was shocked to see I had not posted anything since May....GASP...I am a bad bad blogger!!

The good news is that means I have been too busy having fun with my family. There is so much going on with Caleb & Rachel out of school already. Plus Connor & Kailey have been having a ton of half days as they wind down to their last day on Friday.

I have some exciting news...I made the Design Team for my local scrapbook store Scrapbooking Moments in Time!! I am very excited they are super nice there & their kits are so much fun to play with.

If you happen to live anywhere near South Bound Brook, New Jersey...be sure to check them out!!

Here are the Layouts I made with the July kit...

They wanted an about me layout...

Another layout...

A card... Some other type of project...
This was so much fun to play with.

I hope to get back into the swing of blogging. So much is going on & I have so many pictures to share.

Hopefully it will not be another two weeks before I post!!

Lewis School Awards

2008-05-30T12:12:00.003-04:00

Today we had the award ceremony for Caleb & Rachel. The Lewis School has an award ceremony at the end of the school year where they acknowledge each student for all of their accomplishments during the school year.

The students really feel special & it is such a lovely way to let the kids see how well they have done.

Caleb & Rachel have Dyslexia and The Lewis School specializes in educating children with learning differences. It is a miracle what they have accomplished since they started there. I am so grateful.

Rachel & her good friend Jocelyn

Caleb receiving his award from his teacher Mrs. McCullough

Caleb checking out his certificate

Rachel getting her award from her teacher Mrs. Werther

Rachel & her good friend Will. It is so cute seeing them all dressed up.

End of the school year silliness!!

2008-05-28T18:30:00.003-04:00

I love the end of the school year, there is always so much fun stuff going on for the kids. I guess it brings me back to my childhood a bit. I remember the days at the end of the year. The pressure of school work is less and there is more time for friends and fun.

Caleb & Rachel had field day last Friday. They divide the school into two teams & they compete in various track type events ending the whole day with a giant tug of war. Rachel really got into it.

Here she is with her "game face"...

She had me put the black lines under her eyes to complete the look.

Today they had crazy hat day...

Caleb & Rachel dug out the fish And frog hats from our stash of goodies int he basement.

It was funny because it was also silly hat day at Kailey's school.

So Kailey found this lovely purple number.

Of course I had to take pictures!!

Even though things are a bit hectic here as things are winding down for the school year, I am enjoying it.

Hope everyone else is having some silly fun too!

We're off to see the Wizard...

2008-05-14T14:40:00.003-04:00

and a number of other things too.

I have barely had a chance to get to update my blog. I just have been so busy the last few weeks.

The Lewis School's production of "The Wizard of Oz" took place last week on Thursday May 8th. I did make-up for around 50 kids it was so much fun and a bit tiring. The play was super cute & the kids did a fabulous job.

Rachel was so excited to be Dorothy.

Caleb was not as thrilled to be playing a flying monkey. He thought the ears made him look a bit like a mouse & I must say I think I agree, but he did a fabulous ob none the less. Plus, I reminded him that he got to play Captain Hook last year & you can't have a lead role every year.

Overall I think the play was a huge success. Of course my kids were the stars of the show in my opinion.

After the play my step-mother (Caleb & Rachel's Mema) was staying overnight in a hotel so she could attend grandparents' day the next day at the school. She had a great idea & offered to have Caleb, Rachel, and me stay in a hotel with her in Princeton. That would save us the long drive home. For those of you who don't know Caleb & Rachel's school is about 45 minutes from our house and I spend a whole lot of time in the car driving back and forth. Well, staying in a hotel seemed like a fabulous idea. A mini adventure for me & the kids. So I had our bags packed & ready to go. Although apparently I was a little preoccupied while I was packing. I forgot their toothbrushes & my clothes...oops!! I was able to make do & work things out.

At Grandparents' Day, Pop-pop & Grandma Shafer were there as was Mema. Caleb & Rachel were thrilled to show off all they were doing with their grandparents.

Caleb & Rachel went home with Grandma & Pop-pop. I headed home to meet my husband David. It was our wedding anniversary and David had planned a nice weekend away at the David Glenz Golf Academy in Vernon, NJ. We had a very nice romantic weekend. Although I am still a bit sore form all that golf. I really believe it will improve my game quite a bit. They really gave me quite a few pointers. Plus I got to play one of the hardest golf courses in the country Crystal Springs. I feel after that I should have a t-shirt or at least a bumper sticker that says something like, "I played Crystal Springs & I survived!" It was really hard, but I thought it was fun.

Now hopefully things will settle down a bit & I will keep up with this blog a little better.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day!!

A Prayer Request

2008-05-04T21:51:00.003-04:00

My friend Niki who has been on the Creative Team at Scrapdragons with us since the very beginning was just given some very scary & distressing news.

On Tuesday April 30th her daughter Ellie was diagnosed with a diffusely infiltrative brain stem glioma. Ellie spent three days in the hospital with mom and dad while meeting with several specialist in preparation for the radiation that is to start on Monday May 5th. A website has been created by Pat and Niki so that you may follow them as they embark on this horrendous and difficult journey.

Please keep them in your thoughts & prayers and pray for Ellie that God heals her.

Niki is an amazing & talented woman & I hope that all of you that visit my blog will join me in supporting her & her family through this difficult time.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elliewillaert

Take a Look at this...

2008-05-03T20:01:00.005-04:00

I got published in the May issue of the e-zine ScrapStreet.com. I am on page 12!!! It is a really cool magazine with lots of great inspiration. I was really excited when I got the email saying they wanted my true family layout!

Also I made it on to round nine of American Idol on Scrap-Tastic.com. This has been such a fun contest. I am really loving the challenges. Here was the layout that I made that got me through to the next round...

I already finished my layout for the next challenge...I think it is my favorite so far. It was using a Prima Sketch. So I used mostly Prima products & also entered it for the Prima Contest.

Finally, we have chosen our newest six members for the Scrapdragon Team. We will be posting them soon. It was unbelievably hard to choose. We had over 40 entries and there were so many we loved. We actually were saying no to people that we would love to have on our team. What a difficult decision!! I am so looking forward to seeing what this amazing group of women will bring to the table. So be sure to pop over soon & check out Scrapdragons!

Feeling Special...

2008-04-28T11:57:00.005-04:00

This was a busy busy weekend. It was very fun & felt like it was all about me. Such a pleasant change since so much of my life seems to revolve around everyone else. Something that I am sure most mothers can relate to.

It started on Friday with the mad rush to finish cleaning up the house for the arrival of my mother & her husband. All the kids were heading off to spend the weekend with their other parents. After the house was clean & the kids were safely on their way, I headed over the the Bound Brook Elks club to drop off some last minute items & see how things were progressing for the Casino Ball.

After that I headed over to my local scrapbook store for a special sale & some make 'n takes. I bought some really fun stuff & started a project that I need to finish up. Hopefully later today. I won't post it for awhile because...shhh...it is a gift for my mom.

When I got home that evening my husband David had made me dinner & had a glass of wine poured. Talk about feeling pampered.

Late that night my Mom & her husband arrived. We only talked for a bit before I was just too tired to stay up another minute.

Saturday was the "Mom & Me" day...we got manicures & pedicures...got our hair done...& had a yummy sushi lunch just the two of us.
That night was the Casino Ball...here I am from a picture on my cell phone. We didn't have our camera & I am still waiting on some shots from my Aunt Beverly's camera.

Here is a picture of the plaque they presented me along side the flowers from my husband. He introduced me with a speech that brought me to tears. It was such a gift to have him support me & love me like that.

Overall it was a fun night.

On Sunday I brought my mom out to breakfast at the local diner before they headed back to Maryland.

Then I went off to meet my scrapping friend Jenn at another scrapbook store for more shopping & lunch. It was so great to get to know her better.

And believe it or not...when I got home I got cleaned up & headed out for a two hour board meeting for our swim club.

So like I said busy busy weekend...but it did make me feel special.

Today I am just finishing up odds & ends...a little scrapping, a little cleaning, catching up on blogs, & general things like that.

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

I made the top ten!

2008-04-23T19:39:00.003-04:00

I am participating in an American Idol themed scrap challenge on Scrap-tastic.
Each round has a challenge that we need to make a layout for For round 7 here was the challenge...

Rock Star Style
This week's challenge is a product-based challenge.

Select THREE of the following products to include on your lay-out:
black cardstock background
lace
bling (such as gems, glitter, or Stickles)
metal (heavier metal than staples, please)
vinyl or leather
paint
transparency
anything animal print
sheet music

(NOTE: A product that fits two categories only counts once. For example, a leopard print transparency can be counted only once as either a transparency or anything animal print.)

The lay-out can be any theme and any size. We are looking for you to prominently feature each of the three items you chose in your design.

Here was my layout...

I used vinyl letters, a fancy pants transparency, & lots of stickles for bling.

This has been totally fun...the layouts everyone has been making have been fabulous.
I am so psyched to be moving on to round number 8. I am in the top ten baby!!

What an honor...

2008-04-21T16:31:00.009-04:00

My friends Jen & Amy awarded me the Arte y Pico award. Thanks guys!! The idea of this award is to pass it on to five other bloggers whom you think are creative and contribute a lot to the blogging community.

So here are my fab five bloggers...

Gabi
Jenn
Lauren
Jake
Niki

I wouldn't be surprised if some of these fine ladies have already been given this award...they certainly deserve it!

On another note I am being honored at this ball on Saturday night. It is really such a fun time. If any of you are local & would like to come, please let me know. I have some free tickets & I would be happy to pass them along.

There are some awesome prizes like coach bags, an iPod nano, & even a Wii.

My husband is turning forty...

2008-04-14T08:06:00.005-04:00

The big four-ohhh!! How can this be possible?!?! I am only like 24 years old right?!?! Oh no... that's right I am also going to 40... in July just a few months away! It is so hard to believe the years seem to be flying by. Actually being in our forties feels pretty good to me. I am exactly where I want to be. David'd actually birthday is April 15th...but it is a tradition in my house to celebrate birthdays as often as possible. So we will be saying "happy birthday" in as many ways as possible over the next month.

We had a busy weekend. My father in law & his wife Willean flew up from Florida for the weekend. We had lunch on Saturday & then headed out to the Flemmingotn outlets to do a bit of shopping. I threw a birthday dinner party on Saturday night at our friend's restaurant, the Spice of Life. We had a nice little group of friends to celebrate with, it was a great time. We had lots of yummy food & some really nice wine. The restaurant has been totally renovated since the damage from the flood. If you are local, take the time to check it out. The food is excellent, you won't be dissapointed. Introduce yourself to the owner Fred Llavarias & tell him we sent you. He is a fabulous host & will make you feel right at home.

Of course I was in such a hurry to get to the dinner, I forgot my camera. Luckily my father in law saved the day. He had his camera & got a few shots.

David is on the right with his cool new Tommy Bahama shirt. Lori & Chris are on the left. That is our friend & the restaurant owner, Fred, pouring the wine.

David's father & his wife Willean.

The whole group of us

I am not sure what David is doing with his hand in this shot...he really hadn't had any wine yet...so I can't blame it on that.

Willean, Cindy & Mark.

Bob, David, & Willean

Thank you to all who came to celebrate with us. David had a great time & it meant so much to him.

Please don't forget...there are still a few days to enter at Scrapdragon...click here to find out more!

Woo Hoo!!

2008-04-10T22:39:00.007-04:00

Some exciting news here...

On a whim I decided to submit a few layouts for a page call at ScrapStreet.com!

Well I just got an email today & they are taking one for the May issue. So be sure to head over there & check it out.

Also, I made it through to round #6 of the American Idol scrap challenge over at Scrap-tastic I am in.

Here is the latest challenge...

Show us your cd cover!
Imagine you won American Idol and you are about to release your very first cd. What would you name it? What would the cover look like? Here's your chance to show us! Make sure it's a 12"x12" page.

Here is what I came up with...

The album title "Running with Scissors" just popped into my head with this challenge. I wanted something funky & this picture of Rachel with the clay mouth & eyes she made just seemed to fit. This was really fun to play with. I plan to start an art journal for myself & use this as the first page.

Two Peas Blog Challenge for today: What do you desire? (list everything)

Well, I don't know about everything...but here is a page I did for Round #5 at Scrap-tastic of my Diva Demands & these will do nicely...to start...

Here is what it says...

I want it all & I want it now!(do you think that makes me a diva?)

1.a personal chef to create yummy lo-cal meals

2. A full time housekeeper

3. an awesome stylist to keep me in style & looking cool.

4. Always plenty of Pelligrino with fresh lemon

5. A personal massage therapist.

6. A scrap room-organized & well stocked

7. An IPhone to keep me connected

8. A personal trainer to whip me into shape.

And lastly...If you need a challenge...click here....I dare you!!

Oh what a busy day...

2008-04-07T07:41:00.005-04:00

I usually like lazy Sundays. The kind of day that you can get all those little projects done, maybe stay in your jammies, or lay around & watch movies. If it is a nice day I might even go outside & do some yard work. I kind of like to be home on Sunday & puttering around. Yesterday was not one of those days, but it was so much fun!

First, I couldn't really sleep. It was one of those nights where you toss & turn all night. So finally at around 7:30am I gave up & came downstairs. I had a sketch drawn & a picture printed for a layout I wanted to complete. I headed down to my scrap room & spent an hour working on it. It was a challenge for an American Idol themed scrap contest I am in. The requirements were to use a medium or large circle, to scrap at least 8 diva demands, & it was to be a two page layout. The contest is being held over at Scrap-tastic. Here is my take on the challenge:

I am really having fun with these challenges, they are not what I would usually scrap & I like that.

At noon we headed out to see My sister-in-law Jennifer in the play "Working" out near Philadelphia. She is so amazingly talented & it is always fun to see her in action.

I had to play with the camera to get good shots without my flash.

Jennifer during her big scene

Jennifer with the cast

After the play we went out with Jennifer & her friends for a nice dinner. We didn't get home until almost 10PM. So it was a long day, but loads of fun.

On a side note...last month Rachel had a school project to make a report comparing & contrasting Martin Luther King Jr. & Gandhi. She did a fabulous job on her report. Here are some pictures of her art project she made to go along with it. I am proud to say she got an "A"!

her "I had a dream..." Diorama

Rachel with her paper mache Gandhi head
Oh & don't forget to head over to scrapdragon!!

Here comes the sun...

2008-04-05T12:01:00.004-04:00

finally it is bright & sunny & feels like spring has sprung. I just want to go outside and play.

Thursday, I had lunch with my dear friend Jen. We had been trying for months to get together & life just kept getting in the way. We have been friends since I was in high school. So let me see...that is like...gasp...24 years now!!! Well we had fabulous sushi, a great visit, time just flew by, & too soon it was time to go. So Jen lets get the calenders out now & start planning so another few months doesn't go by before we notice.

By the way, Jen is like the best gift giver I know. She takes great pride in finding the perfect gifts. Everything is perfect including the packaging I so want to be like her when I grow up. It takes time & thought & always makes me feel special. Just check out this yummy pink scarf, the adorable little box, & those cool retro tags. She also got me a great little glass chicken roaster, can't wait to try it out. Thanks Jen...you rock!

Tonight we are heading over to our friend's, the Fazen's, house for a Final Four basketball party. They have one every year & it is always a great time. This year we were asked to bring dessert. Rachel decided we should make a basketball cake...here it is...

What do you think? It is a chocolate domed cake filled with cookies & cream pudding. Rachel is quite proud.

Here is a shot I took of Rachel this morning in our backyard.

I think I probably have twice as many pictures of this ham than any of my other kids. This kid just loves to be in front of the camera. How do I get the other kids to want their pictures taken? They seem to have more of the attitude of "oh no! she is taking pictures again!!" I am sorry but I really don't think the thousands of pictures I take a year are nearly enough.

What I have been up to...

2008-03-31T08:44:00.004-04:00

Well this weekend seemed like it was full of stuff & at the same time I feel like I got nothing done. Do you ever feel that way?

Friday night I was on my own. The kids were away & David was on a business trip. He wasn't due in until after midnight so I decided to pack up some scrap stuff & head over to my friend Gabi's house. She had snacks, made me dinner, & was a fabulous hostess. I got four layouts done & we brainstormed some new challenge ideas for Scrapdragons.

I can't share my creations quite yet as they are for upcoming challenges. So you will have to check Scrapdragon & Scrappin' Mojo over the next few weeks if you want to see them.

Here is one that I can share...

I made this for an American Idol scrap contest I am in over at Scrap-tastic. I am so loving this challenge. Some of my favorite layouts of all time have come out of these challenges. Don't you love when that happens.

Saturday, David & I went over to the Neshanic Valley golf course & hit the range for a bit. After hitting a number of balls we played nine holes. It was a bit chilly, but I just love getting out.

That evening we headed off to see David's mom & took her out to dinner. It was nice to see her. We spent some time going through some of David's grandmother's things. She lived in her home for something like 50 years & there are all kinds of treasures stashed away everywhere. David & I took on the project of having the old family slides converted over to CD's to share with the family. David's grandfather was a professional photographer & there are some amazing photos in the collection. I am so excited to see what gems are in the collection.

Sunday we had plans to play golf again in the morning, but when we woke up it was only 20 degrees. That is just too cold for me to go play golf. I don't even like to ski in that kind of weather. So we ended up taking a drive out to the Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets in New York. It was a nice drive & fun to get out. Plus I got a really good deal on a Coach bag...gotta love that!

So that is about it. Today I am going to clean, do laundry, & work on laying out the ad booklet for my Rotary Club's upcoming Casino Ball. What are you all up to?

Scrapdragon Design Team Call!!

2008-03-28T11:48:00.002-04:00

I hope all of you... my talented friends... take a moment to go over to Scrapdragons & check this out.

We are looking for four new members for our Creative Team. This spot doesn't involve getting a bunch of free stuff... you may not become famous... but hey, it is fun!!

We are trying to revamp the site & provide lots more inspiration. So if you want to be part of the action...be sure to pop over & check us out!!

Twelve years ago... On this day...

2008-03-27T16:42:00.003-04:00

my baby Caleb arrived!!

Happy Birthday dear one!!

I can hardly believe it. Could it really be twelve years already?!?! When he was five days old he started having seizures that would stop him from breathing. The doctors prepared me for the worst. They said he might not live & that if he did he would be permanently brain damaged from lack of oxygen. I am happy to say that he proved them all wrong. He is a very healthy twelve year old boy & has not had a seizure in almost 7 years now. I am not saying he has not had his share of trials, but nothing like what they thought. He is a brilliant sweet child & I am so proud of him.

Connor & Kailey headed off to their other parent's house for a long weekend so I only had Caleb & Rachel with me today. We decided to have an adventure to celebrate Caleb's birthday. We started with breakfast at IHOP...now that may not seem like an adventure, but they were serving green eggs & ham. Plus all good adventurers need to be well nourished.

After breakfast we headed down to south Jersey to the bug museum Insectropolis. It took us a little over an hour to get there, but boy was it cool. It is the smallest little place, but the staff is super nice & for a kid like Caleb it was heaven. Even Rachel seemed to have a good time.

yes you are seeing things correctly...Rachel is trying a salt & vinegar flavored grasshopper.
I think the worm Caleb is eating is barbecue flavored. The kids bought some to bring home so I am sure they will share if you are hungry.
Look at this thing....pretty cool huh?!?!

On the way home we had a little side trip to Rita's Italian ice...yum yum.

Now we are going to celebrate some more with steamed artichokes with lemon butter...another of Caleb's favorites. We plan to just snuggle and watch movies tonight. I am so glad he is not too old yet for that!

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-23T17:20:00.004-04:00

First thing I have to mention is this awesome strawberry...have you ever seen anything like it?!?! Rachel got such a kick out of it she made me take photos.

She thought it looked like a big smile.
It almost seemed a shame to cut it up, but we did.

My Dad & Marguerite just left to head back down to Cape May Point after spending Easter with us. What a a nice day we had. First my parents came over early in the morning with the makings for orange french toast with sausage & bacon. It was yummy & the girls helped cook.

After breakfast they headed off to Easter service & I stayed to get Easter dinner ready. I made lamb with garlic smashed potatoes & a huge yummy salad. Everything was perfect...I could tell everyone was enjoying dinner since hardly a word was spoken. We were all too busy eating.

Look at our pretty table. Kailey helped set it. I just love pulling out the good dishes & making things festive. The rose crystal glasses belonged to my stepmother's mother. I am so pleased to have them. Every time I use them I think of how much she loved to entertain & have family over.

After dinner we all relaxed as a family and the kids took turns showing Mema & Poppy all sorts of things. Kids can't seem to resist showing off to grandparents. I think it has something to do with how much they oooh and ahhh. They probably fuss quite a bit more than mom & dad usually do.

Here is Caleb reading with Mema. Caleb being dyslexic it is always a big deal to see how much progress he is making with his reading.

Mema had Caleb help in the kitchen to assemble the strawberry shortcake for dessert. She taught him how to make the whipped cream. I think he did a fabulous job they look good enough to eat & I guess they were, because we ate them all up!

Oh... and just in case you were afraid I forgot....Go check out...Scrapdragons!! There is still some time to complete this challenge! So go show me what you got!

Egg-citing Stuff Going On...

2008-03-20T17:01:00.005-04:00

Last night Kailey had another concert at school. I couldn't make it because Caleb is still not feeling well & I had class last night. Do you think they could schedule one of these concerts so I could actually see my baby sing? Every single one this year we have a had some kind of conflict. I am really bummed.

Well at least her Daddy took lots of pictures. Kailey is the little blond angel right in the middle. Can't you almost just hear the lovely music coming from her.

Here is a shot of most of the fourth & fifth grade chorus...Kailey is in the middle row fourth from the left.

Today the girls & I decorated eggs. We had loads of fun. We are still all covered with dye & glitter. I can't wait to scrap some of these photos.

What we started with...18 hard boiled eggs!

The dye mixed with vinegar & water for the most vibrant colors.

Rachel used gold leaf on this egg...that stuff was pretty cool, but really sticky. I think this was our favorite technique this year.

The one I won't buy again was the camouflage egg kit...it didn't work well at all. The girls were a bit disappointed, but got over it quickly.

We had all kinds of fun with crayons on the eggs. This was a joint effort egg. We each added a little something & passed it until the whole egg was covered. It is the orange egg on the top left of the photo below. Pretty cool huh?!?!
This is all of our finished eggs. The girls did a fabu job again this year!! It almost seems a shame to eat them.

If you need a little creative boost....go check out Scrapdragon...the challenge is rockin' this month.

Stock up on the tissues & the vitamin c...

2008-03-19T16:27:00.002-04:00

we have some yucky sick stuff here.

Poor Caleb has been miserable & sick since he got home from his dad's on Monday. Monday night he woke up around midnight and was coughing so hard he actually threw up. Well, I then spent the night trying to calm him down & get back to sleep. Around 6:30am I was able to get him to settle down. So I snuggled back in my bed for about an hour. When Caleb wasn't really feeling any better I brought him to the doctor to get checked out. It turns out he has strep throat. So he started on antibiotics yesterday. He seems to be feeling better, although he still has a fever & can't speak. He was eating a little bit again today though, which made me feel better.

Caleb & Connor are supposed to go on a little mini trip with Mema & Poppy tomorrow, but sadly I do not think Caleb will be well enough. I know he is really sick, because he seems happy to stay home with me.

Also, I am a little paranoid now, I am a bit tired & my throat is scratchy, so is it strep, or am I just tired from caring for a sick child.

I just hope we can keep it from running through all the kids this week. I would like to have them enjoy Easter.

Oh... and just in case you were afraid I forgot....Go check out...Scrapdragons!! I dare you.

I just had to post this...

2008-03-16T22:40:00.002-04:00

I don't normally post twice in one day, but I just had to share my exciting news.

I was in an "Iron Chef" scrapbook contest on Scrappin' Mojo. It ran over four weeks. We had a project & a layout to complete each week with secret ingredients and special instructions. Each round people were eliminated. Well, I was pretty excited just to make it through each round to the end.

This contest was a real challenge for me. Many of the secret ingredients that they sent us & we were challenged to use were not things I would have chosen myself. I was really forced to think outside of the box. I was really happy with all of my creations. So as far as I was concerned I had already won.

Well today I found out that I actually really won. I am the Mojo Iron Chef !

I am really honored. Everyone in the competition did such wonderful creative things each round.

The sous chefs who were chosen are Kim & Amy. These girls totally rock. Click on their names to go check out their blogs. I know you will be inspired.

I was tagged...& now you are too!

2008-03-16T11:22:00.003-04:00

So I was tagged by the fun & super creative Nikki Peterson...go check out her blog.

So here is the deal...
Link to your tagger and post these 3 rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

My Random Seven...
1. I was a championship dart player in my 20's. I was ranked fourth in the state of New Jersey for many years.

2. I live only a block from the hospital I was born in. Funny how that worked out.

3. I am the queen of typos. I type really fast & I almost never proof read. So there may be more than a few in this post.

4. My hubby gets really stressed out & I want to help to ease it. So... I secretly put Peace & Calming essential oil drops in his underwear drawer. He would laugh if he knew...he doesn't really believe in my hippie dippie stuff.

5. I love Def Leppard & want to see them in concert. Their music is such a silly guilty pleasure of mine.

6. My great grandfather was a famous architect & designed the Empire State Building. I was inspired & started college as an architecture major.

7. I love to play guitar hero at night with my husband after the kids are in bed. We played last night for over an hour!

so i am tagging these lucky people from some of the blogs I love to visit...
Gabi
Tracey
Jen & Amy (I am counting them as two)
Jenn
Deanna
Cheryl (I am tagging her because she never blogs anymore)

Stop by & visit them too.

Sorry if you have already done this one or hate being tagged, but I always think these are kind of fun.

Oh... just in case you were afraid I forgot....Go check out...Scrapdragons!! I dare you.

B-I-N-G-O!!

2008-03-15T09:26:00.009-04:00

"B 12....I 26.....O 66...."

Last night my Rotary club had their first Bingo fundraiser. It was really a lot of fun & it will be a very successful fundraiser for us.

how cute are these cookies?

I have been a member of Bound Brook-Middlesex Rotary for about six years now. It is really a great organization & Rotary International is involved in so many amazing projects around the world. I am so proud to be a member of a group commited to creating peace & good will around the world.

The goal of our bingo night was to raise money for a Trima Blood machine for Somerset Medical Center. Of course we also hoped everyone would have fun too.

my husband looking like a deer in the headlights..."what number did they call?"

my friend Adrienne trying to manage eight boards.

the happy winner of our tv raffle with our Club Presdent Sonia Amorim

So overall I would say Bingo was a fabulous success!

On another note...yes I am going to plug my challenge blog again...Go check out Scrapdragons...I promise it will be worth it.

I am in the top 23!!

2008-03-13T19:10:00.004-04:00

Well, I made it through to round two of the Amercian Idol Scrap challenge on Scrap-tastic. This is such a fun contest. I am really enjoying the challenges & I love the pages I have made so far.

For challenge #2 I had to choose a song title from a provided list as the title of my LO. I also needed to include at least one of each of the following: metal, star, & stamping.

Here is what I came up with...

Also, I am still pushing this contest...so go check out the Scrapdragon Challenge Blog.

There is a good one going on right now & the prize rocks. Gabi & I are giving the winner a $15 gift certificate to the CropAddict.com store!

Some people's trash...

2008-03-12T09:52:00.006-04:00

can often be another person's treasure.

My daughter Rachel has had this thing she has done ever since she was a little girl. Any time we go to Michael's, (or any other craft store for that matter) she heads to the flower department & picks up any & all the stray & broken flower pieces off the floor. She then asks for a bag & proceeds to bring them all home. The people at the store always encourage her & even seem to think it is cute. Well now we have bags & bags of these flower pieces. Every so often she pulls them all out to make some "special" thing. This is what she has been up to the last few days.

She just cracks me up. I am not sure what they will be used for, but she is certainly having a good time with it.

Also, don't forget...if you like contests & scrappy prizes go check out the Scrapdragon Challenge Blog.

There is a good one going on right now & the prize rocks. Gabi & I are giving the winner a $15 gift certificate to the CropAddict.com store!

Slow Start on a Monday Morning

2008-03-10T11:24:00.003-04:00

It was really really hard to get moving this morning, boy the clocks changing really takes some getting used to. Although it is all good now, the kids are off to school, my friend Gabi came over & took me out for coffee, & we sat a chatted a bit. It doesn't get much better than that.

I scrapped late into the night last night. Some of what I made was for an Iron Chef Challenge on the Scrappin' Mojo Board. This is the final round so we will find out soon who the big winner is.

The challenge was to use at least one yard of fiber on a LO & the other challenge was to make an Easter project featuring fiber.
Here is my take:

Oh & I got this from my friend Morgan's blog...it was kind of fun.

What Laura Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way.

And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life.

You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Also, if you like contests & scrappy prizes go check out the Scrapdragon Challenge Blog.

There is a good one going on right now & the prize rocks. Gabi & I are giving the winner a $15 gift certificate to the CropAddict.com store!

I have been on a roll...

2008-03-09T08:44:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks that although you are busy you still seem to squeeze in lots of creative time?

I have had one of those weeks. I can't show you too much of what I have been up to since most of it is Design Team stuff for Crop Addict. Although let me tell you if you do not get this kit yet, you may want to sign up. You really get quite a lot for your money. I usually make 4-6 layouts, a few cards, a project, & still there is lots left over.

Yesterday we went to see 10,000 BC with the kids. We went out to the local pizza place and had an early dinner first. It was so much fun. The movie was really a goo time & the kids LOVED it. It is amazing to me that we now have to pay adult prices at the movies for Connor now that he is twelve. Time is just flying by.

When we got home Rachel baked some yummy cookies. Then David curled up with a few kids & I curled up with a few kids. A little later Rachel came upstairs with me right before bedtime & fell asleep on me while I was working on my laptop in bed. Well, I must have been tired...because when David came up to bed a few hours later, I was asleep too. My neck is a little stiff this morning from falling asleep sitting up with a laptop & Rachel on top of me even just for those few hours.

Oh & at 6am (well, actually I guess it was 7am...I forgot to change the clocks last night) I was awakened by my doorbell ringing & loud knocking. It was the groceries being delivered. I had scheduled them for between 7am-9am...what was I thinking. Plus with the clocks changing I was completely unprepared. Just picture me jumping out of bed, scrambling around for some pants to throw on, & going down to answer the door before he drove away. Thankfully the guy was pretty understanding & got a bit of a giggle out of it.

Well, enough of that, here is my latest layout I made for the Scrapdragon's Challenge. It is to use album art as inspiration for a layout.

I was inspired by this Album Cover:

Be sure to go check this challenge out. I hope to see lots of you enter this time around. There is a great prize. You have until March 30th...so get going!

I am going to Hollywood!

2008-03-08T02:31:00.005-05:00

OK, Well maybe not really. But I did enter an American Idol scrap contest at Scrap-Tastic.

And here is my layout for round #1

The Journaling reads:
Laura’s Top 10 songs for the moment:*
1. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” Def Leppard
2. “Bubbly” Colbie Caillet
3. “Monkey Wrench” Foo Fighters
4. “The Weather with You” Crowded House
5. “Punk Rock Girl” Dead Milkmen
6. “Shut Up & Drive” Rihanna
7. “The Way I Am” Ingrid Michaelson
8. “Cowboy” Kid Rock
9. “Me & My Gang” Rascal Flatts
10. “Bike” Pink Floyd

*Disclaimer:
Any views or opinions presented in this list are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of anyone else. Laura accepts no liability for the eclectic content of this list, for the consequences of bad music taste, or for any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Readers are responsible for their own music choices. This list may be withdrawn and/or changed without prior notice.

I had so much fun with this LO!
The photo on the LO I just took myself today.

Check this out....

2008-03-07T13:02:00.002-05:00

Scrapdragon has a brand new look.
There is also an awesome new challenge with a fabulous prize.

So be sure to go check it out!!

Time to catch up...

2008-03-06T10:11:00.003-05:00

I know I am a bad bad blogger. Somehow life got a bit crazy & this is what I dropped out. So today I am going to take a minute & catch up. Just a few highlights.

First, I would like to say the crop over at CropAddict was so much fun. I not only played & chatted on the board, but I actually completed some of the challenges. I will post some of it in a little bit. Now of course I need to take some time to catch up on things around the house. I kind of let things slide a bit while I was glued to the computer.

Plus for the last two days I have had sick kiddos. The stomach bug really stinks. Everyone is miserable.

A few weeks ago we went out to Pennsylvania to visit David's sister Jennifer. It was so fun hanging with her. She made lots of yummy food & we just spent the afternoon visiting & relaxing. She is an amazing artist & truly gifted singer. The kids just love her and so do I.

Here are a few shots from our visit...

I plan to continue to catch up over the next few days.

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you....

2008-02-29T18:40:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday Dear Crop Addict, Happy Birthday to you!

They are turning 3! In celebration of the big event there will be an online crop March 1st & 2nd!

Be sure to stop by, there are will be lots of games and cool challenges. If you like prizes I have heard that Debbie plans on giving away some amazing prizes... I heard something like $2000 worth of goodies for the weekend!!

So, I hope you stop by & get your mojo flowing!

I'll be there as much as I can over the weekend & will be there Saturday from 9-11am with my game & a fun challenge. So pop over & say "hi!"

Here are some of my March Design Team creations using the fabulous kit offered this month. The kits are available in the store so you may want to get yourself one before they sell out. Every month I am sure the kit is my favorite, until the new one comes and I have a new favorite. Debbie really knows how to put together great scrappy stuff!

Can you believe I made all of this with one kit?!?! The best part is I still have tons more stuff I can play with.

I promise you can't go wrong with these kits.

So make some snacks & head on over to the crop!

I've been tagged!

2008-02-22T23:31:00.004-05:00

Well, I have been a really bad blogger lately. Some personal things have been going on & unfortunately my blog has suffered. I promise I will blog more about all of that soon. I just haven't been up for it. I have lots of good & few things not so good to share.

But luckily my friend Debbie has tagged me & inspired me to at least do that.

So now I'm tagged with a fun new game.

This is what I have to do:
You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name. Each fact must begin with that letter. If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name. After you've been tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and answers. At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and need to read your blog for details).

So here I go....

M - Married to the best guy ever!
A - Artistic. I love to create art in all sorts of ways.
R - Rebellious. I have always liked to buck the system a bit. Not in a crazy way, I just like to be my own person.
G - Generous of spirit.
A - A little "type A"
R - Ready for adventure. I like a challenge & trying new things.
E - Empowering. I love being able to support my friends & family.
T - Thankful. I love my life & I am grateful for all that I have.

I can't believe I have to tag 8 people... Let's try:

Gabi
Nik
Nancy
Michelle
Angela
Niki
Cheryl
Carla

So have fun...I will write more later.

Yippee...our sock creature is no longer nameless!

2008-02-05T15:15:00.000-05:00

Rachel has finally come to a final decision. Our little striped friend will now be, from this point on, referred to as Milo.

What a relief for all of us.

Milo seems to be very happy about the decision.

I guess we really should have let him choose his own name, but like most parents, Rachel was sure she knew what was best for him.

He was really tired of things like "hey you" & "sock dude" so I guess all is well.

Thank you for all of your help & suggestions. We loved so many names & I am sure some of them will be used for Rachel's future sock creations.

NY Giants stun New England 17-14!!

2008-02-04T07:54:00.000-05:00

There is not much more I need to say...

Growing up in New Jersey it seems only natural that I would be a Giants fan. Watching the game last night was just too fun. I barely have a voice this morning from all the screaming

I can't wait to have one of these babies hanging in my closet!!

2008-01-31T22:41:00.000-05:00

Well I have had a stomach bug all week. So I am a bit behind in everything. I keep thinking I am feeling better & then uh oh....gurgle gurgle...not so much better. Plus I am easily tired out.

So this post will be short & sweet.

I am just going to post my latest layouts I did using the Crop Addict February Kit. This kit was just so fun I loved it all. So many possibilities. As soon as I opened it up the mojo was flowing.

These are the mailbox & layouts I created using Scenic Route also from Crop Addict. Click here to see the manufacturer challenge being offered. I am not much for themed paper. I am definately not one to run out & buy specialty paper for much of anything, but I am telling you this paper rocked & boy was it fun to play with!! I want more of it!!

So click on the Crop Addict link & order yourself some of this yummy goodness. I am telling you it will be worth it.

Some breathing room...

2008-01-28T10:26:00.000-05:00

Well, this is the first time since last week where I have felt like I can take a breath. It has been just one thing after another. Today is a day where I don't really have anything pressing. There is still all of the everyday stuff & projects I want to work on, but nothing that is too urgent. So I am doing laundry, straightening up the house, & actually taking a moment to post here.

So for all of you people who are reading this & also, like me, may take on too much from time to time...why don't we all just breath in...that's it nice & deep...& breath out. Let us take a few more deep breaths. Whew...that feels better! Now I feel a bit more relaxed & ready to get on with the business of the day.

This past weekend I had my mom & her husband here visiting from Maryland. My Uncle Butch & Aunt Debbie came in from Ohio as well. It was so nice to have family here. I haven't seen Butch & Debbie in a few years & it was great to catch up. Plus we used this visit as another Christmas celebration & that is always fun. So we cooked lots of yummy food, exchanged gifts, & played games. The kids had a blast with all the extra attention & opportunities to stay up late.

Here is a group shot....

And I just love this one of my mom & her brother Butch....

So I guess now I can finally take down my Christmas decorations & pack them away until next year. I have actually enjoyed the extra Christmas spirit, but it will be nice to reclaim my home again.

Hope everyone had a great weekend...thanks for checking in!

I'm Back!!

2008-01-21T15:10:00.001-05:00

Well I am back from California. I flew in early this morning & let me tell you it was an interesting adventure flying through Vegas following the Giants winning their playoff game. A whole group of rowdy, liquored up Giants fans got on the flight & it was amusing. Although I must admit I am a huge Giants fan & was a little caught up in the excitement. Luckily there were no drunken incidents & the happy fans pretty much passed out.

I am happy to be home, although I am exhausted. Rachel has a few favorite names picked for her sock creature & we will post her final choice soon. So if you have an idea...get it in soon.

Thanks & I hope to write more later.

So Much Fun...

2008-01-15T11:07:00.000-05:00

First, I just want to thank everyone who has already contributed a suggestion for the perfect sock creature name. Rachel already has some favorites, but we are continuing on our quest for the next week or so.

If you have not done so already...click here...& read about what Ray has been up to.

Second, for all of you that are fans of scrap challenges, be sure to check out Scrapdragons. There is still some time to complete Challenge #9 & Challenge #10 is posted for you to get started on. So go check out all the scrappy fun over there.

Third, I am leaving tomorrow for California. I am excited to be participating in the Empowering Life's Energies course. I will be without computer time so I will not be posting here until next week.

Hope everyone has a fabulous week...& I will catch up when I get back.

We Need Your Help...

2008-01-13T14:41:00.000-05:00

Our newest family member is need of a name!!

For months now Rachel has been in search of a sock monkey, but Rachel being Rachel, this could be no ordinary run of the mill sock monkey. So we were in search of something unique & special deserving of a place in our family. Unfortunately, no such sock creature seemed to exist.

So today, Rachel decided that we should make our own silly sock creature. Here is what she came up with...

Sock Creature making is serious business & not for the faint of heart. You need to be willing to take chances, stick your fingers up the creatures back side & not be too squeamish about needles.

It was a challenge...it was fun...& we have a fabulous new member of our family.

Here is our dilemma...we are unable to find the perfect name for out little buddy. So Rachel thought it would be a great idea to post him on my blog & see what our blog friends come up with. So if you have a suggestion please post it here in the comments. We will then choose from the names submitted.

Feel free to share our request with your blog friends. The more name ideas the better!!

Thank you for your help...we know he won't be nameless for long!!

More Milestones...

2008-01-11T07:53:00.000-05:00

Well yesterday was my son Connor's 12th Birthday. I can hardly believe it. Where does the time go? He wants to celebrate by having a family dinner out somewhere & we plan to do that this weekend. My husband was traveling on business & didn't get home until after Connor's bed time. So being a mom I couldn't let the actual day go by without some kind of fanfare...so I baked a cake....Rachel decorated it....& we surprised him that evening. Rachel & Kailey had so much fun going through the junk drawer & pulling out all these odds & ends of cool candles & lighting it up.

Doesn't this look yummy?? Rachel had the idea to fill the center with preserves & decorate the top with chopped up brownies. This was perfect for Connor as the more chocolate the better!!
Connor contemplates what to wish for as he surveys the cake & all its candles. You can't see from the picture, but the tall thin candles acted like sparklers & the solid colored candles made their flames different colors. It was just all the leftover candles from our junk drawer, but it was pretty cool in the end.
I just love this picture I took without the flash...I think Connor looks so sweet & content with the candles lighting up his face.

on another note...it has been unseasonably warm here the past week. It was in the mid 60's yesterday afternoon. Rachel had a bunch of reading to do for her home study so she curled up on a chair on our back porch.

Even Ginger thought it was a good idea. So she plopped herself in the chair next to Rachel & enjoyed the sun & a story as well.

A New Year Has Begun!

2008-01-08T18:01:00.001-05:00

Wow...2008 already. Can you believe it?!?!

I have been really neglecting my blog lately. Christmas here was busy & wonderful. I had a feeling of being very grateful & very blessed.

This year has started off with a bang. So many new things going on.

I am so excited to be continuing my course work at the Academy For Coaching Excellence next week in California. I am thrilled to be taking some time to do something that is truly just for me. Taking time for myself is one thing that I have had a hard time doing being the mother of four. I often find myself putting their needs & concerns before mine. The good news is that things are changing & I am learning that in order to be the best mother I can be I need to take care of my needs first. It makes me think of the safety instructions on an airplane. They tell you to put on your oxygen mask first & then help your children. Well that certainly makes sense, but somehow I wasn't applying that common sense attitude to my everyday life & activities.

I am also well into my projects for my first month on the Crop Addict Design Team. The February kit they gave me to play with is just yummy & the manufacturer kit I got to play with produced some of my favorite layouts to date. Be sure to check back for some sneak peeks of all the yummy goodness soon.

I did get one layout done that I can post now. It is a layout I did using all items from my stash of scrappy goodies. If you have some stash items to use up be sure to head over to Scrappin' Mojo. I am running a "use your stash" challenge for them over there & they are giving an awesome prize to the winner.

Here is the layout...

I hope to keep up with things here a bit better.

Thanks for stopping by!

Just Some Bits & Pieces

2007-12-23T17:14:00.000-05:00

Well right now my sweet dear husband is busy cooking a special meal for the two of us. The kids are all with their other parents tonight so we have a bit of couple time. Let me tell you this is a sweet moment. All of the presents are wrapped & under the tree, the stockings are all hung & full, the laundry is just about done & everything seems to be coming together nicely. Whew!!

We are celebrating Christmas with the kids a day early on Christmas Eve as it is not our year to have them Christmas morning. One of the challenges of divorce & remarriage is the juggling of visitation & holidays. I must say though that I feel pretty blessed as we really seem to be able to work things out with the ex-spouses pretty easily. Also, since the kids all live with us, we really have the best deal & see them the most. I always try to keep that in mind & be flexible. I am grateful that they are all here under one roof. I have a full house & that is a good thing.

On Friday Kailey came home from school with this masterpiece. She was really proud of how her little gingerbread house turned out. I thought it was magnificent. Plus after we got a few pictures she was generous enough to let Rachel eat a few gum drops off of it. You are such a sweet pea Kailey!

Today I have been doing things around the house. Mending, laundry, a bit of cleaning, & odds & ends of things that need to be done.

One project I worked on today was this set of altered refrigerator magnets. I bought a set of these at the dollar store & then used pattern paper & stickles to jazz them up a bit. I put pictures of my kids & my nephews in & plan to give them to my Dad & Stepmother as a Christmas gift. I am so pleased with how they came out I think I may have to make a few more gift sets & perhaps one for myself. I think it will be fun to experiment with other paper lines & perhaps some Prima flowers.

Well, I can smell some yummy things in the kitchen. Maybe I should get off this computer & see if David needs any help.

Hope you are enjoying some quiet times as well.

Peace.

It's Beginning to Feel A Lot like Christmas...

2007-12-21T12:53:00.000-05:00

The tree is up & decorated, the lights are on the front of the house, & most of the presents are wrapped. We got off to a slow start with David traveling so much & me basically doing it all on my own, but we are finally just about ready.

On Wednesday my dad & stepmother brought the kids into New York City to see Cirque Du Soleil - Wintuk. They spent the whole day in the city. What fun for the kids & what a nice treat for me. I spent the day in my scrap room creating. I didn't have to think once about the kids, where they were, or what they might need. It was a real treat.

Here are some things I created...

Today is another quiet day. Connor & Kailey have their last day of school before winter break. Caleb & Rachel are hanging out in their jammies, & I have been creating again.

Here is what I made today (Dad & Marguerite...if you are reading this stop here as the picture is one of your Christmas gifts....if you peek...just act surprised when you open it

This is one of those tin barn stars that I decorated with pattern paper, some black & white photos of the kids & some ribbon. It was actually pretty fun to make once I got the templates figured out.

A bit of humor for today...

2007-12-19T08:38:00.000-05:00

Two nights ago we were having one of those family dinners where everyone is goofing around & acting silly. We were all laughing & just having a great time. If you have ever had one of these you know that it is often hard not to have your drink come spraying out of your nose at times. I love these kinds of dinners where the kids feel free to express themselves & their emerging sense of humor starts to shine through. The dinner was nothing fancy...just pizza that David picked up on the way home. These moments are fabulous for recharging my batteries, they remind me of how much I love my life & how blessed I am today.

But here is the real funny part. At one point I look over at Rachel & notice she has two small pimples on the side of her nose. Maybe it was the silly mood of the night or maybe I was just surprised to see the blemishes on my just ten year old daughter, I am not really sure, but I blurted out, "Wow Ray...you have two pimples on your face!" She immediately put her hands up to her face & shrieked, "what?!?!" She then excused herself from the table to go run & look in the mirror. She couldn't believe it. Well, that really isn't the funny part either I guess. What happened next was...

She announces that immediately following dinner she was heading up to take a shower & wash her face. When I went upstairs to check on her this is what I found.

She looked at me very calmly & said, "the mask says it dries up pimples, so I am going for it." It just struck me as so funny, especially since she wasn't really all that concerned, but was enjoying the amount of laughter her mock upset was producing.

A glimpse of my life...

2007-12-17T12:02:00.000-05:00

I got this from another blogger Denise...who got this from another blogger!

i am: a creative & outgoing person
i want: my kids to be happy people
i have: a wonderful husband, 4 fabulous children, and 1 great dog
i wish: my kids came with an instruction manual
i hate: that my husband's grandmother is sick & dying. I just love her.
i miss: summers at the beach
i hear: my friend Gabi talking to me while I type
i wonder: if I will ever really feel like a grown up
i regret: not taking more chances
i am not: selfish & hateful
i sing: loud and often, but not well
i cry: for my kids suffering with learning differences
i am not always: patent with my kids
i make with my hands: scrapbooks, art, & cooking.
i journal: about me, my family & my friends
i confuse: the names of my kids when I am frantic
i need: nothing really...my life is pretty full
i should: be cleaning & doing laundry...but hey this is certainly more entertaining.
i start: my day waking up my kids with kisses
i finish: the day snuggling with my hubby after the kids are in bed...sometimes with a glass of wine.

please post a message if you decide to do this...so I can go check it out!

Some Gifts handmade by Rachel...

2007-12-15T12:58:00.000-05:00

So if you are on her Christmas list you may want to close your eyes now.

Rachel has been busy for the last few days making jewelry, beaded bookmarks & key chains for Christmas gifts.

I took a picture of some of her creations. It is a crummy shot & does not really do them justice.

Here are some of them all packaged up & ready to go.

I love that she wants to make gifts every year. She is always so proud to present her gifts. I have to admit though I am glad they are finally done. Even though she makes everything, I often need to be on hand to help with the mechanics. She is only ten years old after all.

Want a chance to win some free stuff??

2007-12-14T12:37:00.000-05:00

Then you have to check this out...

Head on over to CropAddict & check out the contest they are having.

Even if you do not win you will have fun, I promise. It is a great board, with a rockin' gallery, an awesome kit club, & a fabulous store. It is a great place for fun & inspiration if you are into paper crafts & scrapbooks.

If you register be sure to let them know I sent you...hee hee...I want to get my name in for that prize as many times as possible!!

While the cats where away...

2007-12-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

the mice did play.

My mother in law stayed at our house to keep on eye on the kids while David & I were in Paris. She left us a note on the kitchen table letting us know how everything went & a request to print some photos for her that she took on Rachel's camera. So I finally got around to uploading the photos this morning & this is what I found...

How cute is this?!?! My mother in law completely rocks! She is a costume designer in New York & these are all her prototypes that she brings for the kids to use as dress up when she does not need them anymore. As you can see this time it was all girl stuff, but often there is a ton of cool boy stuff as well. How luck are my kids to have such cool dress up stuff? I am so glad that they had a blast hanging with Gemma while we were gone.

I always worry whenever we go somewhere without the kids that they will be sad without us. I guess I need to let that go now.

So did you miss me??

2007-12-11T08:09:00.000-05:00

For those of you who missed me...I am back from Paris. For those of you who didn't even realize I was gone...guess what?? I am back from Pairs!

We left Thursday afternoon got on a plane around 6PM at the Newark Airport.

Here I am (not a particularly flattering photo of me...but hey it is part of the story) on the plane ready for my Paris adventure.

We arrived at Charles de Gaulle International Airport around 7AM Paris time. We took a taxi to our hotel...The Park Hyatt Vendome on 5 Rue de la Paix in Paris. The hotel was very luxurious & had we not been staying there for free, by cashing in my husbands hotel reward points, it would not have been even close to our price range. I think our room rate was about 600 Euros a night which is about $900 a night & with David's travel points we stayed three nights for free!!

Our friends Chris & Lori were already in Paris & met us down in the lobby. We all headed out for some croissant & café au lait at one of the corner places & then headed off to wander around Paris while our room was being prepared.

It was fabulous traveling with our friends as it was their seventeenth trip to Paris & they knew their way around. First we went to The Sacré-Coeur Catholic basilica, built at the end of the 19th century, at the top of Montmartre hill in Paris. The spectacular view of Paris from atop the hill there was amazing . The village like streets and squares, its cafés and restaurants, its painters on Place du Tertre, and the ticky-tacky tourist type shops were all so much fun.

Here are our pals Lori & Chris. We stopped & had crêpes avec fomage et jambon (crepes with cheese & ham) & David tried crêpes avec fomage et champignons (crepes with cheese & mushrooms) they tasted particularly yummy standing on the street in Pairs on a brisk afternoon.

Here we are on the steps to Sacré-Coeur

The next day we headed to the Musée Rodin. If you are even remotely a fan of this artist you must go there. I was just so blown away by the beautiful work. I could have spent hours in the gardens there. It must be beautiful to be there in the spring to sit & have a picnic there amongst all those fabulous sculptures.

Here is just one of the many pictures we took there. Can you believe how amazing this is?

David took a picture of me taking that photo. How funny is he?

From there we headed to Notre Dame de Paris.
My fabulous husband David caught this great shot of Notre Dame reflected in this large Christmas ball on a tree in the square. I just love this shot. Yeah David!

Well, I could go on & on about all we saw & did, but I am sure that is not as interesting for you as it is for me. So here are just a few more pictures (Click on the names of places if you want more information)...

The line for the Louvre Museum. This was before 9AM on Sunday morning.

My David getting some crepes at a stand along the Champs-Élysées.

The Arc de Triomphe.

Opéra de Paris

The Eiffel Tower

It did rain the entire weekend, but there was something sort of romantic about Paris in the rain. I am so glad my husband decided to surprise me with a long weekend in Paris. He is so romantic & fabulous. I am such a lucky girl!!

AHHHHHHH!!!!!

2007-12-04T08:30:00.000-05:00

I have so much going on....so much to say... & I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. So, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Now that I have that out of the way I think I am feeling a bit better. So if this post is a bit here, there, & everywhere... I apologize, but I am just going with the flow today.

I can hardly believe that in just two days I will be on a plane to Paris, France. It came up so fast. I have so much to do & it is right before Christmas. Am I crazy?!?! Forget it don't answer that!

Well, Saturday David left for a business trip. He is gone until tomorrow & we leave for Paris on Thursday. So like that doesn't make things a little more difficult. Since we are not bringing the kids the logistics of their care while we are away is a bit crazy, but I am hoping it all goes smoothly.

Sunday we had a mini snow fall. A little over an inch. The girls decided to make the most of it & played outside for hours. Rachel even made a little snow man.

Yesterday, I went out & did some more Christmas shopping & I did manage to get a lot accomplished. So there is not too much left to do when I get back.

The photo Christmas cards I ordered came yesterday. So I can start addressing them. I am totally disappointed in how they turned out. They are really pretty ugly...not at all what they looked like on my computer monitor. So if you are on my Christmas card list....the kids really look much better in person...lol.

When the kids got home from school, Rachel helped me get dinner started. We made homemade chili with fresh baked corn bread. It was yummy. While that was cooking we got started on Christmas decorations. I am so glad to have that started. Something about even just pulling out the boxes & looking through the treasures really starts getting me in the holiday mood.

This morning when I got all the kids up for school, Caleb had a bad sore throat & Rachel had a stomach ache. So now Caleb is staying home & Rachel drank some tea & decided to rough it out. Connor & Kailey seemed OK & went off to school without complaints.

So now here I sit at my computer with a cup of coffee. I put some flavored Coffee Mate in it...I needed a treat this morning...boy is it good. Come on over I'll make you a cup.

So for the rest of the day I plan to get some cleaning done, get some things of my "to-do" list, get some pictures of my special ornaments, & pamper Caleb. I think he more wanted some Mama time than he is actually sick, but with four kids that happens from time to time. So I am going to roll with it.

I think for the next few days that is going to be my mantra, "just roll with it baby!!"

Oh...and I did put some Christmas music on here for a little bit of fun!

Are You Guilty?

2007-12-01T10:29:00.000-05:00

If you think you may be then you should go check this out...

Scrapdragons Challenge #8

This one is going to be fun...I promise!!

Also, The winner for challenge #7 has been posted. So be sure to go check that out as well.

You will have all month for the current challenge. We figured we all had enough to do this holiday season so we are giving you a bit more time with this one.

So go have some fun today!!

Here is my guilty pleasure...try not to laugh too hard...

The journaling reads..."My guilty pleasure these days comes with just a $2.99 price tag from Wal-Mart. Something about having things like "fierce" scrawled across my butt just makes me feel a bit naughty."

Check out this freak show...

2007-11-30T10:43:00.000-05:00

weird clay art by my lovely daughter Rachel.

First she came prancing in the kitchen like this...

Then she looked at me & said with a little sparkle in her eyes, "quick mama...grab your camera...I have an idea!!!"

Here is what followed...

She was entertained for the whole evening & so was I.

We were laughing, actually... it was more like hysterical giggling, all night.

Then she made this final creation...

(check out the little eyelashes...crazy huh?)

I love that something as ordinary as dollar store clay can be such an extraordinary & creative toy.

This was a great reminder for me as I head into the crazy shopping frenzy for Christmas. Sometimes even the simplest of things can bring us so much pleasure.

I love you Rachel!! You are a shining light in my life.

Smile for the Camera...

2007-11-29T11:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finally had a sunny enough day & enough time to bring the kids over to the local park & take some photos. I was hoping to get one shot good enough for our annual Christmas card photo. This is always a bit of a challenge to get a shot where all four of the kids look pretty good. I'm of the theory take at least a hundred pictures & maybe one will be acceptable. So here are some of yesterday's shots.
This tree is where the adventure got started. I had this image in my head of all four of the kids up in a tree, but there really wasn't one that worked right for that. Plus after Rachel got her foot stuck in this one & was covered with bark I thought maybe I should scrap the tree idea.

This fence shot is actually the one I will be using for the cards. I think everyone has the most natural look in it.
This one of them laying down up the hill from me I just love. Too bad Kailey was squinting. I think Connor looks so cool in this one.
I took a few shots in this gazebo right before we left. The kids had fun goofing off after Mama was so cranky trying to get good shots of them. It was good taking pictures & not being so picky about where everyone was standing & which way they were looking.

This hill just begged to have kids rolling down it. Caleb was the first to give in to the temptation.

They rolled down the hill a number of times. Everyone was laughing & muddy.
Connor would roll down in an angle bumping all the others on the way down. It was too funny that he couldn't stay in a straight roll.

I think we need to go back next week before it gets too cold. I plan to let them dress in their junky play clothes & just have a blast. They won't be young enough to be this silly for long. I was glad they had some fun even if I was so serious about the pictures in the beginning.

I love that they remind me that life is too short to take things so seriously. I mean really who cares if we have a perfect Christmas card picture?? Maybe it is really more perfect that we are having too much fun to have a perfect picture.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Looking For Some Mojo??

2007-11-26T13:23:00.000-05:00

Well then boy do I have something for you. Check out the current challenge at Scrapdragons!

You will be sure to get some ideas over there & if you put a link to your creation in the comments you can have a shot at a fun scrappy prize.

So go ahead pop on over & check it out!

So much to share...

2007-11-25T11:55:00.000-05:00

& so much to be thankful for!!

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. It has been a whirlwind of activity here since last week. Today I finally have a minute for myself & I am going to take some time out to go over all that has gone on & really savor the good stuff & celebrate.

So be warned this may be a lengthy post, but it is filled with really sweet juicy moments for me so I hope you take the time to read through to the end.

So first as some of you may already know I had thrown my hat in the ring over at Crop Addict & tried out for a spot on their amazing Design Team.

Well, It's official... the announcement has been made and I can now shout it from the roof tops...

I MADE THE DESIGN TEAM!!!

I feel so honored to be a part of the team & I can't wait to get started. So stay tuned to see all the cool stuff I will get to create for them. They are a fabulous scrapbook store & kit club, with an amazing gallery & great message board. If you are a paper crafter make sure you go check them out. It is the kind of site where you will feel welcome right away & will be totally inspired.

I still can't believe I made it!!

Caleb & Rachel were off from school all this past week. They were so excited to help prepare for Thanksgiving & they were fabulous help to me as I got everything ready for our guests.

Wednesday family started arriving. In the morning my father & step-mother came by for a visit. They spent time with me & the kids & then brought us out for a nice lunch. They had t head back to Cape May so around 2PM they headed back to south Jersey.

Then around 3PM my Aunt Tiz & Uncle Nick arrived. I couldn't believe how wonderful Uncle Nick looked. Just last year at Christmas time he had a near fatal car crash & was in a coma. In the past year since the accident he has had to learn to walk again, among other things. This Thanksgiving he walked into our house with just a cane... God is good.

Then later that evening my mom & step dad arrived. I always enjoy visits with my mom. She lives in Maryland & I wish we could see her more.

I have to say I was so busy hanging with my family that I hardly ever took out my camera. {GASP}... Can you believe it?!?! I am sad I have almost no pictures, but I am glad I just took the time to enjoy my family.

Thursday was Thanksgiving and my mother-in-law & sister-in-law arrived. So with a full house we all hung out & ate all kinds of yummy goodness. It is always nice to have family around. David's grandmother, Muriel, had just gotten out of the hospital & was unable to join us this year. I was sad about that, but grateful that she was home & not in the hospital. My sweet dear husband gave my mother-in-law a ride back to Muriel's & brought "goodie bags" of Thanksgiving treats for her & her friend Wally.

Friday my Uncle Larry, Aunt Denise, Cousins Louie & Marc, & Louie's girlfriend Natasha came by. Again all the food came out & we had a chance to laugh & visit. My Aunt Tiz who thinks silly string is the best fun ever gave us all our own can & a huge silly string fight started in the back yard. It was just too fun. Now my back yard & porch are littered with strands of the silly stuff. I just love that Tiz & my family are still so fun.

Connor & Kailey left for the weekend to be with their mom at their Aunt Laura's house. Later in the day Larry picked up Caleb & Rachel for the weekend. It is always a bit sad to see them all go, but I am grateful they have a good relationship with their other parents.

Saturday morning all the house guests started back on their way home. David & I were left alone for the first time in days. So we headed out to the golf course & played a round of golf. It was cold, I played poorly, & I had a fabulous time! It was great to have some quiet time with my honey.

That afternoon are dear friends Chris & Lori came over for a quiet dinner & some wine. Again it was nice to enjoy some quiet times with friends.

So now here I am finally caught up to today. I am doing laundry, catching up on email, updating my blog, & I plan to get some scrap time this afternoon as well.

If you made it this far...thanks!! Hope you had a fabulous & blessed week as well!

I've Been Tagged!!

2007-11-18T22:23:00.000-05:00

by Nancyroo!! If you have time go check out her blog!

I GOT TAGGED....so please copy and paste and write your answers in my comments if you want to play along... I always love to learn a little more about my blogging friends so I hope you will take a minute.

Yourself: Creative & Funny
Your partner: Smart & Supportive
Your hair: In desperate need of a haircut (I have an appointment next week...yippee!)
Your mother: Smart & Fun loving
Your father: Brilliant & Steady
Your favorite item: My Ipod
Your dream last night: I don't remember
Your favorite drink: Dirty Martinis
Your dream car: I would love a hybrid car big enough for my family.
Your Dream home: A five bedroom house...so my kids could have their own space.
The room you are in: Living Room
Your fear: Something happening to my kids.
Where you want to be in 10 years: Still madly in love with my husband.
Who you hung out with last night: My husband & kids
You’re not: Dishonest
One of your wish list items: A new set of golf clubs.
The last thing you did: Tucked my kids into bed.
You are wearing: A tan sweater, jeans, & red shoes.
Your favorite weather: Autumn & Spring
Your favorite book: The Velveteen Rabbit
Last thing you ate: A Pear
Your life: Blessed
Your mood: A bit wound up.
Your best friend: Other than my husband...Gabi
What are you thinking about right now: What I need to do tomorrow.
Your car: A hybrid Toyota Prius
What are you doing at the moment: Typing this blog post, duh!
Relationship status: Married with 4 kids.
What is on your t.v.: My hubby is watching C.S.I
When is the last time you laughed: Tonight telling my husband what went on at my meeting tonight.

I tag....Gabi and Cheryl. I would tag a few more, but I am too tired & need to get to bed.

My Baby is Ten Years Old!!

2007-11-18T18:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I can hardly believe it but my baby Kailey just celebrated her ten year birthday today. That can't be right can it?

We have been celebrating all weekend. Somehow her birthday seemed like a huge milestone for me. All four of my kids are now in double digits. Why this is significant to me, I am not sure, but I do remember making a big deal out of my own tenth birthday so maybe that has something to do with it.

Last night we made shabu shabu for dinner & the kids just had so much fun. We were laughing all night. Then we lit a fire in the fire pit out back & made s'mores.

I also made these special cupcakes for the party today. Kailey loved them.

I wanted them to be funky cool for my little Kailey. She definitely has her own style & likes things bright, bold, & colorful. Rachel helped me frost them, it was her idea to put the red in the middle. I think they look pretty cool.

We had Kailey's party at the local ice rink, Bridgewater Sports Arena. We got there around 11:30 am & waited for her 7 friends to arrive. So plus our four we had a nice crowd of kids. It was really funny to watch them all shuffle around the ice until they got confident. We took a break half way & got all the kids pizza & drinks & then a number of them went back out on the ice. We were there until about 3 pm. Aside from some bumps from falls on the ice, one bloody nose, & some chilly kids, everyone seemed to have a super fun time.

Kailey enjoying some pizza

I wish I could be at home for the rest of the evening, but I have to run out for a board meeting for our swim club.

It has been a long day! Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Less Than a Week & it is Turkey Time!!

2007-11-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

I just love Thanksgiving! I love all the cooking, the crisp fall weather, & the time with family. For the last 5 years or so we have been hosting the big family Thanksgiving here at our home. I love it! This house just calls to be filled with people celebrating.

As much as I love it, I notice that I get into this crazy perfectionist mode. I want the house to be spotless, everything organized & perfect, & a Martha Stewart style fall feel to the entire house. I just get completely insane. I do love the results though. Things I normally put off or neglect cleaning get cleaned, treasures are discovered as I clean out old junk drawers, & generally I feel more peaceful as a result.

So this year I am trying to enjoy the crazy prep process. Not take it so seriously like it has to be perfect, but realize that I really enjoy the end result. So believe it or not I am having fun with the super freak cleaning I am doing. I am just loving the process as well as the result.

Plus think of all the guilt free time I can take for myself when it is all done!!

A Day at the Farm...Among Other Things

2007-11-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I chaperoned the Lewis School field trip to the Howell Living History Farm. This was really a cool trip. It was a perfect brisk fall day & the sun was shining. It was great being outside with the kids all day. Although it was a bit cold & I was pretty wiped out by the time we got home.

They learned about corn harvesting & had some hands on experience. This farm does everything the way it was done back in the 1800's. It was really neat for the kids to be able to see this and experience it first hand. The whole thing was so well done & very informative.

Rachel took this picture of the horses on the wagon.

Rachel took this picture of one of the pigs.

Rachel & Kendall feeding the chickens

Rachel with her piece of corn that she was off to shell.

If you live in the area this is a place I would definitely recommend. The kids all had a great time. I think when the kids get a hands on opportunity like this to experience history they retain so much more of what they learn.

They had one whole segment on the cooking from that time. The woman made popcorn & corn bread. Everyone got to taste it & they gave us the recipe. The melted butter on top of the corn bread & then drizzled it with honey. It was still warm form being baked in the wood burning stove. The kids participated by helping to churn the butter. It was really cool to see how it was all done & the snacks were quite tasty.

I have to add on this little bit about Caleb. Last week he got this foam eyeball from school for Halloween. Immediately he had an idea for creating a creature out of it. So he asked me for some red pipe cleaners & some googly eyeballs. It always makes me smile when the kids want to create something. Here is his finished creation...

I think it is pretty creepy cool if you ask me. The funniest thing was that when he was done he came over to me to show me & said, "Hey mama, I think you should take some pictures & scrapbook this." So seriously...how could I resist.

And just one more thing...

Here is a layout I did of our trip to Norz-Hill Farm to get pumpkins. I just love how it came out. I used a LO I saw on the multi-photo layout blog as my inspiration. I don't do too many two pagers these days & that site always gives me tons of great ideas. There are some really talented people over there. Be sure to check it out!

And that's the way they became the Blakeley Bunch...

2007-11-06T17:08:00.000-05:00

Connor has a project due about his family & culture for school. He needs to make a poster showing various aspects of his life. One of the things he is supposed to depict is one thing about his family that makes it unique. He decided to highlight the fact that we are a blended family.

So we decided to make a picture of our family for his poster that is a play on the opening credits for The Brady Bunch. We often joke about our modern day Brady Bunch life. All the things that happen here in this household we could have our own sitcom. Although I think it would have to be rated PG-13. Blending two families certainly presents its set of challenges!

This is what we came up with...

Since there are only six of us we added in Ginger & Shasta to round out our bunch.

I also need to add that the photo of my darling husband David he hates. I must admit it isn't the best photo of him, but he was looking in the right direction & hey I had to make this in like 15 minutes.

We had a lot of fun with this!!

I am playing Texas Hold 'Em This Week

2007-11-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

On Sisterhood of Scrap they are playing a version of Texas Hold 'Em & I decided to join the fun.

So I took a break from all the Ebay Craziness (see my post from earlier today if you want to see what that is all about) & I scrapped a bit. Here is my layout for Challenge #1.

This is one of those layouts that I had big ideas for & it just didn't turn out how I had hoped. I am trying to turn over a new leaf though & not rip it apart & start over. I am going to put it in a page protector & move on. At least that is what I am saying right now.

Ebay Craziness!!

2007-11-05T10:14:00.001-05:00

I have been an Ebay maniac this weekend. I have posted over 20 listings with over 100 items of the kids old outgrown clothes. The scary part is I still have a ton more to list.

I had no idea how much I had collected this time. As the kids outgrow clothes I put them in bins & then every so often I take them out wash them, photograph them, & list them on Ebay. It has actually been a pretty sweet deal. I make a little extra cash & the clothes get sent to a new home to be enjoyed. I love the idea of them moving out of my house & geting reused. This time though I let it go a bit too long & the task has been overwhelming.

This time Rachel has been helping. She has been my organizer & photographer. It has been fun to have an Ebay buddy. In exchange for her services she is making 20% of all the profits.

She took this photo of the great room as the staging area for the Ebay sales...scary huh?!?!

If you need any clothes for your kids...check out our listings...& check back all this week as I am sure we will be listing more.

Our Ebay Listings

Well back to sorting through clothes!!

Trick or Treat!

2007-10-31T17:17:00.000-04:00

Well all four of my kids are dressed and off to trick or treat. Rachel & Caleb's dad came by to join us walking around with the kids. So I decided why not let David & Larry take the four of them out & I would stay home for trick or treaters. I am so excited to be able to stay here, cook dinner, sit on the computer, & check out all the costumes as the kids come by for candy.

I just love Halloween!

Here are some shots of the kids before they went out.

Caleb as predator & Connor as a skeleton

Rachel as Medusa & Kailey as a Princess

all four of my little monsters ready to go out for candy!

David brought his camera so hopefully he will get some more great shots of them as they spook around the neighborhood.

We have had about a dozen little kids so far. The costumes have been really great so far. We had one kid dressed as a skydiver with his open parachute dragging behind....really cute. We had a great pirate Jack Sparrow too. Can't wait to see what else comes by.

Hope you all have a great Halloween!

Carving out some good times!

2007-10-30T21:48:00.000-04:00

Well we spent the night carving & decorating pumpkins. It was fun & the kids were really into it.
Kailey, Caleb, & Rachel used these plastic pieces that stick into the pumpkins to make some really funny faces.

Then Rachel & I carved out this one...

I think they all came out great.

I just need to vent a bit at the end of this post. If you look back a few posts you will see these great tombstones that Rachel made as decorations for the front yard. She put so much thought & work into them. Well yesterday some little boy walking through the neighborhood deliberately broke one of them into pieces. My daughter Kailey saw him doing it. His grandmother was walking with him and was unable to stop him soon enough. I just was so upset that someone would do something like that. I was able to fix it with a hot glue gun. Rachel took it well & says it just looks more authentic like a cracked piece of stone. I am still a bit upset. Kailey didn't know who he was or I may have been tempted to go talk to his parents. I just can't imagine letting my child get away with that kind of behavior. I feel she should have made him come over & at least apologize. Just my opinion.

Just one more day...

2007-10-30T11:38:00.001-04:00

& it is Halloween!!

I am just so excited. It is one of my favorite holidays. I have more fun than my kids I think.

Today I was blog strolling when I wandered over to Cheryl Wray's blog. Definitely go check out her blog...there is some really fun stuff over there. She had such a cute comment & share for Halloween that i just had to post it here.

So...how about joining in some quick Halloween Fun for our comment-and-share-time today. If you are so inclined, answer these in my comments section or let us know that you're posting the answers on your own blog.

* Are you dressing up this Halloween? (I always at least put on a witches hat or something to take the kids out.)

* If you have kids, are they dressing up? (Yep...I will have Medusa, a princess, a scary skeleton, & predator...check back after tomorrow for those photos!)

* Do you have memories of a specific costume from your childhood? (My mom always made me such cool stuff when I was little. it was all pretty great. I remember in high school a group of us girls got dressed up as the seven dwarfs & we got this big football player to be Snow White... it was really funny!)

* If you could have any candy put in your Halloween basket, what would it be? (I always love the tootsie pops & clark bars...yum!!)

* Fill in the blank: "Trick or treat ___________________." (I really only know the silly smell my feet one...lol...but I would love to hear what others you all come up with!)

Hope you are having a great day & have fun getting ready for tomorrow!!

Boo!

2007-10-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

Well we finally finished up our decorating for Halloween. We pulled out all the boxes from the basement & figured out what we wanted out there. It took about 2 hours to get everything all set up.

Here is our front door.

The little ghost & the rock have motion detectors & make noises & things when you get to the door.

Our spooky skeleton trying to escape his grave

Our little ghost who flies through the air when he hears a noise

Ray up in the tree after helping to tie the string for our flying ghost buddy

It is always so much trouble decorating for Halloween. I always think to myself, "why do I do this every year??" Then when I am done & the kids come out & ooh & ahh & say, "how cool!" I remember why I do go through all the trouble.

Plus this year I had a big helper. Rachel was really into the Halloween spirit this year. You can tell she is totally my kid.

Getting Ready For Fall

2007-10-22T11:04:00.000-04:00

It has been such a strange fall season for me. It just doesn't seem right to be pumpkin picking, going on hay rides, & decorating for Halloween when it is 80 degrees out. So I have been putting off all of our fall traditions waiting for cooler days.

Well this weekend wasn't exactly the perfect fall weather, but at least it was a bit more like what I have pictured in my head. So Saturday afternoon we went & bought pumpkins.

Caleb, Connor, Rachel, & Kailey posing for a great fall photo
Caleb on a quest for the "perfect" pumpkin

Rachel trying to look like one of the pumpkins...always with the bangs in her face

Connor finds a unique shaped pumpkin

Kailey peeking over the pumpkins

Later that evening after a yummy meal at Famous Dave's we went back to the farm for the Haunted Trail. It was so much fun. The kids were clinging to us as we walked the 1/2 mile through the trial built into the corn field. They had all these people dressed up, fog machines, sound effects, & spooky decorations. It was really well done. The kids are still talking about it. It is funny even though I knew things would be coming out at me I still screamed!!

Yesterday, Rachel had an idea to make our own tombstones & create a graveyard in the front of our house. So we headed over to Michael's with about $15 in supplies this is what Rachel came up with. She is really proud of her work. We will definitely be making more of these in the future. They were so fun to make.

Now we just need to pull out the rest of our Halloween & fall decorations.

A "Moo Moo" Here & A "Moo Moo" There...

2007-10-19T09:11:00.001-04:00

Everywhere a "Moo Moo"

One of the many photos Rachel took on her new camera. She has a pretty good eye.

Rachel on the hay ride to see the cows.

OK so sorry I am being a bit silly, but in my defense, I am still tired out from yesterday. I was a chaperone for The Lewis School trip to the Norz-Hill Farm. It was really fun but definitely a really long day.

The kids got a tour of the farm & then brought out to a field to pick pumpkins & gourds. The kids really had a blast. After the tour & pucpkins we were supposed to just eat our bagged lunches & head back to the school. But the farmer gave us a special treat & allowed us to go into the corn maze. I not so sure that was such a great idea to give 80 kids an opportunity to loose themselves in the corn maze right before we needed to get into cars & head back to the school. Although I guess it all turned out OK in the end. We did make it back safe & sound with all of the students that we came with.

Watch out....I've been tagged!!

2007-10-17T09:07:00.000-04:00

I was tagged by Willow! Definitely go check out her blog. She does some amazing funky art & scrapbook stuff so be sure to check her out!

OK, so the deal is I need to tag 7 people as well & write down 7 facts about myself...I think I can handle that.
Here are the rules...you know how much I love rules...lol...

RULES
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs

7 facts about myself....

1. I hum when I am really happy & don't even realize I am doing it. A bit odd I know.
2. I traveled around China for a little over 3 weeks on a peace & ending hunger mission when I was 15 years old.
3. I have two tattoos & would like to get more.
4. I secretly love listening to Kid Rock music. The nastier it is the better...lol.
5. I drive a hybrid car & care about the environment. My husband affectionately refers to me as his "crunchy granola wife"
6. I like ketchup on my eggs...I know yuck!
7. My great grandfather designed the Empire State Building.

Well now you know some random facts about me....can't wait to hear about some of you...

So, I now tag.....

1. Angela
2. Carla
3. Nancy
4. Niki
5. Staci
6. Jana
7. Gabi

If you get a chance...check out these ladies blogs...you will find some fun & inspirational stuff there.

Wow....glad that is done.
Have a fabulous day!! And.... Have you visited scrapdragons today??

Challenge Me

2007-10-15T11:50:00.000-04:00

No scrap time for me today. I have too much cleaning & I need to go grocery shopping in a major way. We are out of bread, milk, & oh no...toilet paper!!

Although I do have a few layouts I did for challenges that I thought I would post today. They are nothing special, but were fun to make & I have a few more pages to add to my album...yippee!!!

This first one I did for Scrapdragons Challenge #6. This is a fun one, so if you are looking for something to get the mojo flowing be sure to go check it out.

I know the prize for this Scrapdragon challenge is particularly yummy...so don't miss out. Plus the winner for challenge #5 will be announced in a few days so be sure to pop in!

This second one is for a manufacturer challenge over at Crop Addict. If you are a Rusty Pickle fan (& really who isn't) & you have some of their product on hand...you may want to give this one a shot. It may even be worth going shopping for some new Rusty Pickle...come on you know you want to.

All the products are Rusty Pickle except for the Bazzill cardstock & the microbead swirls. I just love those corrugated letters...I so need to have more of them!

What is a CROP Hunger Walk?

2007-10-14T20:15:00.000-04:00

Well a CROP Hunger walk is a community of people walking together to take a stand against hunger in our world. Together we raise awareness and funds for international relief and development, as well as local hunger-fighting.

There is a local CROP walk sponsored every October by my Rotary Club. I have been one of the main organizers of this event for the last four years. It is so much work & every year with all the work leading up to & the day of the walk I am thinking..."Is this really all worth it?"

Well the answer is definitely, "YES!!"

I am proud to say that not including some pledges that still have yet to come in, we collected close to $5000 today for CWS/CROP! I am confident as the rest of the money rolls in we will have $6000 plus. Not only that we collected so much food to donate to the local food banks & soup kitchens.

I think the best part is watching all the young kids involved. They are so proud turning in the sponsor money they have collected. They love feeling part of something bigger than they are & the feeling of doing something that makes a difference.

For those of you that read my blog that helped with this event, "THANK YOU!!!!" You know we could not do this alone.

So rest up & then get ready to start planning next years walk.

*****************************************************
A little reminder....
You have until midnight EST tomorrow to upload your entries for Scrapdragons Challenge #5!!

You've Been Boo'd!!!

2007-10-12T10:35:00.000-04:00

We were Boo'd last night!! The girls were so excited. So we got busy right away & Boo'd two of our neighbors.

So What’s a Boo you ask? It’s when neighbors secretly leave one another anonymous goody bags on their doorsteps in celebration of the holiday. Once you have been Boo'd there is a poem with instructions and then you are expected to go out & secretly Boo other neighbors, but not the houses with a boo sign or ghost on the door— as they have already been hit. The idea is to spread the cheer throughout the neighborhood. We had never heard of being Boo’d before we got boo'd this year. My kids were totally drawn into the mystery of it.

Here is what the poem looked like...

Here is a similar poem if the picture is too hard to read...

The air is cool, the season fall,
Soon Halloween will come to all ghosts and goblins,spooks galore &
Tricky witches at your door.
The spooks are after things to do,
In fact a spook brought this to you!!!
The treats that came with this short note,
Are yours to keep, enjoy them both.
The excitement comes when friends like you,
Will copy it &; make it two,
We'll all have smiles upon our faces,
No one will know who "BOO"ed whoses places!!
Just two short days to work your spell,
Keep it secret ,hide it well.
Please join the fun, the seasons here.
Just spread these "BOO's"; Halloween cheer.

Include a sheet of paper that says: You have been BOOED!
Please keep it going by following these directions:
Enjoy your treat Place the BOO sign on your front door or visible in a window
Within 2 days, make 2 copies of this note, make 2 treats &
2 BOO signs Secretly deliver to 2 neighbors/friends without a BOO.
Keep an eye on nearby front doors to see how far and fast it spreads by Halloween."

Here is what our little goodie bag looked like...

The kids could not wait to get into the fun so we ran right over to the local drug store & grabbed some plastic pumpkins for $1.99 & filled them with treats, the poem, & "I've been boo'd" ghost signs for the new people to hang in their windows.

This is such a fun idea. Now the kids are carefully watching the neighbors to watch the boo signs pop up & see the Halloween cheer spread.

If you want to start this in your neighborhood...check out this link...You Have Been Boo'd!!

Don't forget there is still time to complete challenge #5 over at Scrapdragons...so click here & go check it out!!

A Little Design Team Fun...

2007-10-10T07:57:00.000-04:00

I popped into my local scrapbooking store, Scrapbooking Moments in Time, last week just to see what new goodies were in. I was busy checking out all the yummy goodness & quickly filling up a basket when the store got the news that one of their Design Team members had to step down. So I just happened to be in the right place at the right time & the remaining three kits were handed to me. So I will have the fun for the next month designing items for their Time Out Kit club.

I love it because I will be all done by mid November.

Here are some projects that I made using the first kit. The cube is one of those puzzle cubes that you keep flipping around to create new images. That was quite the project. it would make a great gift, but I am not sure I have the patience to do that again.

I love doing design team projects. So many times it gets you making something outside of your comfort zone. The products or featured techniques are not always your thing & you are forced to stretch yourself. I just love that!! Plus who doesn't like free products to play with?!?!

Rhian you have been scrapjacked!!!

2007-10-05T13:04:00.000-04:00

That is right I just scrapjacked a layout by Rhian for the latest challenge over at Scrapjacked.

Her style really caught my eye & I thought it would be fun to play a bit.

I used fabric, ink, paint, sandpaper (check it outwith the flourishes stamped in paint), micro beads, staples, & all kinds of other stuff. Totally fun & not my usual type of work.

Thanks for the inspiration!! It didn't quite turn out how I though it would, but I still kind of like it.

Want a Mojo Boost?!?!

2007-10-04T23:06:00.000-04:00

Then come check out Scrapdragon!

As most of you know my , Gabi and I started our own challenge blog just a few months ago. We hit the ground running on August 1st. We have been running contests every 2 weeks awarding some really great prizes for the winners!! We have provided some of the prizes personally & have also had some fabulous & generous sponsors.

Make sure you go check out our latest contest! You'll really want to enter... because as Gabi has said, "the prize is yummy, yummy, yummy!!!"

Even if you are not into entering contests be sure to check out the site. I am sure you will find loads of inspiration. We have had so many talented people participating.

Hope to see you over there!!

Calgon, Take Me Away!!!

2007-10-03T22:55:00.001-04:00

OK so some of you may be too young to know that commercial, but hey it is how I am feeling right about now.

So for those of you who don't know let me explain & for those of you who do it may bring back some memories. So saying "Calgon, take me away" implies that you wish to be removed from an overwhelmingly stressful day. It's a reference to an old Calgon television ad campaign from the mid 80's. It would depict a stressed out house wife, kids screaming & making a mess, maybe a muddy dog running through the house, & at the same time dinner is ruined. What is a poor girl to do?!?! At the moment where one more nasty thing happens & she is on the verge of some kind of breakdown...she looks skyward & says/pleads..."Calgon, take me away"...and "poof" you now see her relaxing in a sweet smelling bath with Calgon products.

I just feel like today was one of those days I could use a Calgon moment. It is already after 11PM & I still have only completed about one quarter of what I had hoped to get done. It was one of those days where it seemed if anything could go wrong it did go wrong. Everything I was doing took twice as long as I expected. Also it was one of those days where every few minutes your brain went nutty realizing that there were about ten things that you had forgotten that needed to get done yesterday.

The truth is it is really just catch up from being sick last week. So much did not get done because I just wasn't up for it and of course my fabulous hubby David was on a business trip & wasn't really around to help out. I am behind on cleaning, birthday gifts I wanted to make, & numerous other things.

So my plan for tomorrow, so I don''t have another day in need of the Calgon genie, is to make a list & prioritize it. Sometimes that is all I need to do to get away form the drama of it all. It is funny how just writing about it, the stress is just leaving my body.

One high point for today was I won the September Monthly DT Challenge over at Crop Addict. It really made up for a lot of today when I read that earlier this evening. I have been having a blast over on their site. They have really cool kits, a friendly message board, & a rockin' gallery.

Well, if you made it this far down my post, thanks for listening to me ramble on.

Have a great night!

Oh & a little message for my mom....
ahem..ahem....la la la la....Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Mom, Happy Birthday to you!!

Mojo Survivor!!

2007-10-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

OK I have just embarked on a new adventure. I decided to enter the Scrappin' Mojo Survivor contest...click here... to see the message board & read all about it.

Basically it is going to be a four week contest. They will have one challenge each week and I will be creating one project for each challenge. They have different points awarded for different things & I think there DT is also doing some voting as well. I thought it would be fun to try it out. I have never really done one of these kind of progressive challenges before.

So here was my layout for Challenge #1

We were to create a layout, any size Use at least two pictures, any sizes. The theme "Love" (interpret this as you wish) Include bling of some sort on your layout:

Sorry about the wonky scan...it really isn't messed up in real life. I have had two kids with strep throat & I am recovering myself. So my energy level & my patience for my scanner are a bit low.

Thanks for looking.

Also...go check out scrapdragons...challenge #5 is posted!!

And Still More Painted Faces...

2007-09-27T16:16:00.000-04:00

I know you are all probably getting sick of face painting, but we are really have fun here.

Here are just a few more practice faces...

I really love how the kissing koi fish came out.

I will continue to practice next week, but I am feeling like I have the knack of it again.

Also, just a reminder there is still time to complete Challenge #4 over at Scrapdragons. There is a yummy prize for the winner!! So click here to go check it out!!

Practice, Practice, & More Practice

2007-09-26T19:49:00.000-04:00

Well we had another night of face painting here at our house.
I am feeling more confident with my painting again. I am getting the feel for the paints & the brushes. By the time the street fair comes I will be just fine.

Here is what we played with tonight...

I also ordered another set of paints & some new brushes that are due to arrive on October 1st. So I will have even more stuff to play with. I use professional face paint & boy what a difference it makes.

So far the kids are enjoying being my canvas to practice, but wouldn't it be funny if they were like, "Mom no more face painting...pleeeaaase!!"

Playing With Paint

2007-09-25T22:22:00.000-04:00

For those of you who do not know I am a member of Rotary International. I have been a member of my local club, Bound Brook/Middlesex Rotary, for about 6 years now. We meet once a week & do all kinds of work for our local community & also help sponsor international projects as well. Well, on Sunday, October 6th there will be a community festival in Bound Brook & our club is going to have a table. we will be selling lollipops, providing fingerprint ID kits for children with the cooperation of the local police department, & I will be doing face painting. The funds raised will all be put to use by our club for service projects & help to add to our flood relief fund.

I have done this event in the past & I really enjoyed myself. I am only an amateur face painter, mainly doing it for my kids, so I decided I will spend a few nights practicing on my kids & their friends. I need to take pictures & make an idea booklet with suggested donations.

So tonight we had one of the girls' soccer friends over for dinner with her family after soccer practice & we pulled out the paints.

Here is some of what I did...

I was a bit rusty & the black paint was a bit runny, but overall I think I will get the hang of it before the festival. I need to adjust some of my brushes. I bought some new ones & I don't love how they work.

Hopefully I can work out all the kinks ove the next week.

It is always a long day, but what fun to see the kids faces when they see themselves int he mirror. It also feels good knowing that all the money I raise goes to a good cause.

Well I did it...

2007-09-22T14:41:00.000-04:00

I submitted my entry to be considered for a spot on the Crop Addict Design Team. They are a fun site with a great gallery & message board. Also their kits are just yummy!!

Here are the three layouts & one altered project I submitted:

They will not be announcing the new Design Team members until late November...so I will be on pins & needles until then.

How did I get here?

2007-09-21T11:11:00.001-04:00

I decided this morning & would do some kind of blog challenge. I haven't had much time for challenges lately, but I thought the house is relatively clean & all the kids are safely off to school. So what the heck right?

Well, I have been checking out this site Mojo Holder & they had a scrap lift challenge. I love to scrap lift so I got all my stuff out & got started. We were to lift a fun layout by Kimber McGray.

I was really on a mission to scrap some old photos. I have tons & I do mean tons of old photos that need to make it into albums. So what better way to get the mojo flowin' than to hit a few challenge sites.

Well I started out with great intentions with my scrap lift & yet somehow this is what I came up with...

Not one of my best layouts, but I guess you can't love them all. Although I am really pleased to have gotten those not so great photos from our 2000 trip to St. Croix finally scrapped.

I think Mojo Holder is a great site & I will continue to pop in there from time to time for more inspiration.

Finding Focus

2007-09-19T09:23:00.000-04:00

So why don't people tell you how hard it can be to be a parent before you have kids? Did people tell me & I just didn't really listen or hear them? Do people just try to put on a good face about parenting just so they can appear to have it all together?

Well, I am just going to lay it all out there...the good. the bad, & the extremely ugly. So if you are looking for a post that is light & sweet...you may just want to stop reading here. Consider yourself warned...LOL.

Now having said all that I am not suggesting that I would not want to have kids had I realized how hard it was...I would never trade my life for the world. I have a fabulous life. It is just the last few weeks have been hard & I want to get some of it out. I think the rewards of raising children far outweigh the challenges.

Recently, Caleb who is almost 12 is starting to have some hormones kicking in. He has been moody and seems to be struggling with sadness & anxiety. I hate to see him like that. I just want to make it better for him & there is really nothing I can do. Nothing is worse as a mom than to see your child suffer & not be able to help them.

I just made this layout of Caleb for an upcoming Srapdragons challenge. (a little side note...if you need a mojo boost...click on Scrapdragons to get one!!) These pictures of Caleb I love, but they are all a bit out of focus, so it seemed fitting to scrap them at this point where he is really struggling to find focus for himself.

He is starting to deal better with his feelings. It seemed to help him when I suggested that maybe he was just sad & that it didn't need to mean anything. I also reassured him that the feelings would pass & that seemed comforting to him as well. I realized last might though when he was having a rough night that I was having a hard time letting go. I wanted him to be happy again. I wanted him to not feel stress. I wanted it all to be OK for my baby...ugh!! He is such a smart & creative child. He is so incredibly sweet & I just love him.

Also, Rachel has been struggling a bit with the start of the school year. Her teacher this year is much more challenging. I know she can do it, but she is feeling overwhelmed. So when she gets all her homework out & sees it...she is like a deer in the headlights...boom she freezes. She can't seem to even get started. So she spends at least an hour complaining & whining instead of just doing it. I got into it with her yesterday, I was trying to support her, but she was so in her head about it she couldn't see what I was saying. I just got so fed up & I snapped at her & walked away. She started to cry...I felt bad...it was awful. She is so smart & capable. I hate to see her sabatoging herself. Again, I have trouble letting go, I want to fix it all for her. She has a beautiful spirit & I love her.

I just had one of those days where I felt I didn't have any of the answers & I was in way over my head. Have you ever had one of those moments? I was wanting things to go my way. Trying to force solutions. All that ever seems to do is make life seem hard & I end up tired and frustrated.

So today I am taking it easy on myself. I am doing laundry & relaxing in between loads. Taking the time to recharge my batteries. Today I want to approach my life & all it has to offer with clarity, focus, ease, & grace.

So how does that sound? Anyone else want to join me?

A Little Time for Myself

2007-09-16T20:53:00.000-04:00

Well, today I had a bit of scrap time. I put my ipod on random play, cranked the tunes, & decided to do some challenges. It was fun finally having some time to scrap for myself...not for some Design Team project.

I decided to do the Scrapjacked challenge. Here is my Jack of Sarah Bowen's Layout.

It was so much fun to play with. I wish the scan had come out a bit better, but I guess the most important thing is that it looks great in real life.

I was happy to get these photos on paper. They really are not the greatest photos, but it was such a big deal for Connor. He was so excited to be cutting the lawn. I mean it is a real "big kid" job. We will see how long that novelty lasts. I am sure there will soon be the, "oh man...do I have to cut the lawn again" protests. But hey...I am going to enjoy this while it lasts!

Some Mindless Fun...

2007-09-16T12:37:00.001-04:00

OK, it is Sunday, I have no kids at home today, & David is off on a business trip. So do I clean the house, pay bills, go outside & garden? No I am playing on the internet & finding silly goofy things to do.

Actually it is really nice just enjoying the quiet today. It is so rare that I have time just to relax & do nothing with no one making demands on my time. So I am going to enjoy it & play. All the stuff I "should" be doing will still be there waiting for me tomorrow!!

So here is some silliness I found on some blog somewhere...

I just love some of these things...they are silly & can make me laugh out loud. I can always use a good laugh.

So here it is...
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Squeaky Prius {not exactly a cool rock star name, but what are you gonna do??}
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Pistachio Chocolate Chip {Ok now that is just stupid}
3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)L Shr {huh!?!?!}
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Green Cow
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Margaret Somerville
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)ShrLa
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put "The") The Orange Dirty Martini
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Luigi Richmond {that kind of works...lol}
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Sensi Toosie Pop
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names ) Michael Bently

OK mine weren't all that funny...oh well!! Hopefully you have better answers than me.
If you get any funny ones...please share. I am wanting a good laugh!!

Oh The Treasures You Might Find...

2007-09-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

while surfing the net.

Sometimes when I have a ton of laundry or cleaning to do I play a little game with myself just to make the chore seem more like fun...you know the whole "spoon full of sugar" thing. The game I play is that in between each task I come sit at my computer for a minute & just blog or internet surf. I am not really looking for anything in particular just seeing what cool little things I can find.

Well I was doing this & came across a post on this random blog. I am not even sure how I ended up there...funny how that happens sometimes. It just seemed like something fun to do so I am sharing it here. If you are interested in the blog where I found it...click here!

So here it goes...

All you need is to get your ipod, mp3 player, itunes, or whatever you have ready & have some fun!

Here's what you do:

1. Open your music library
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

So here it goes...

Opening Credits: You & Me - Lifehouse

Waking up: Salt Peanuts - Charlie Parker

First Day At School: I Miss You - Blink-182

In Love: Let Me Put My Love Into You -AC/DC

Fight Song: Listen to the Music - The Doobie Brothers

Breaking Up: Cupid's Choke hold - Gym Class Heroes

Life's OK: Proudest Monkey– Dave Mathews Band

Mental Breakdown: I Try – Macy Gray

Driving: I Hope Tomorrow is Like Today - Guster

Flashback: My Humps – Black Eyed Peas

Getting Back Together: Lo Que Gusta A Mi- Juanes

Birth of Child: The Other Guy – Little River Band

Wedding: Out of My Mind - James Blunt

Final Battle: Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet

Death Scene: Doesn't Remind Me – Audioslave

Funeral Song: Take A Breath – David Gilmore

End Credits: Other Side of the World – KT Tunstall

I have like a 1000+ songs on my ipod...it is really funny to see what randomly came up. Really funny!! Some had me laughing out loud.

Now I hope you try it! It is just silliness I know...but isn't silly good once & awhile?!?

If you do - leave a link in the comments so I can see your soundtracks!

Back 2 School!!

2007-09-13T00:32:00.001-04:00

The end of last week & this week has been back to school time for all the kids. Adjusting to the new routine seems to exhaust me. So today I am finally taking a moment to post again. Since it is after midnight I was going to wait for tomorrow, but realized the kids will all be home from school then & it is much much quieter now.

Connor & Kailey started school this past Thursday. Connor is in 6th grade & has started at the middle school. He seems very excited & feels very mature. Kailey is in fourth grade and still at the elementary school. It is funny they are growing up & yet I still want to see them all dressed up & snap lots of photos.

Caleb & Rachel's school started on Tuesday. It is such a strange adjustment for me as I just joined a carpool. Even though it will be soooo much easier for me I find myself resisting the change. I mean seriously...I don't really want to be driving them back & forth & spending over three hours a day in the car, but I am feeling sad about all that great "talk" time we had together. The truth is the added time in my day will allow me to get more things done & I will have more time for myself & all the kids as a result.

Caleb is in 6th grade and was really excited to find out that his best buddy Will is in his class again this year. Rachel is in fifth grade & was put in a very advanced classroom. When she found out she was just so nervous & complained a bit, but I also saw that she was so proud of herself. It just fills my heart to see both Caleb & Rachel doing so well. Being Dyslexic has been such a challenge for them...The Lewis School has changed their lives.

I had such a hard time getting pictures of all of them this year. They are getting too old to want me taking pictures anymore. There was lots of eye rolling & complaining. Rachel even scolded me at one point for pulling out my camera as they were walking up to the school. It has started already...I am the embarrassing uncool mom....oh no!!

So now that the kids are in school all day...who wants to come over & play?!?!

Lots of Blog Action Today!!

2007-09-08T10:29:00.001-04:00

We have a new mini challenge posted on Scrapdragon today. Click here to check it out! We are also still accepting LO entries for Challenge #3...so be sure to enter that as well.

Also I am so excited to announce that I have a sketch featured on Sisterhood of Scrap!! This is such a fun site & a great place to get inspiration!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Thanks for stopping by.

Another New Challenge...

2007-09-05T08:10:00.000-04:00

I am so excited! We have Challenge #3 Posted at Scrapdragon. Also, we have another great sponsor offering a prize for this one.

justletmescrapbook.com has generously offered a $20 gift certificate.

I hope all of you have a chance to come over & play and enter a layout!

It's time to catch up!!

2007-08-29T09:55:00.000-04:00

Wow...I have fallen way behind in my posting...but so much has been going on

So maybe take a bathroom break...get yourself a drink...maybe even a snack as this may be a long post in order to catch up on everything.

As you all know My friend Gabi & I have been so busy launching our new challenge blog site Scrapdragon. What a fun adventure that has been. So I find I spend more time there than here. I am hoping now that we have the system down & some sponsors, things will settle in a bit more. If you haven't had a chance yet...go check it out...I am really proud of what we are doing over there!!

Last week I was in a course called Mastering Life's Energies offered by the Academy for Coaching Excellence. It was absolutely fabulous!! I was just amazed by the content that was offered & the courage & grace of my course mates. Life changing stuff going on there. I am pleased & excited to be starting a new phase in my life training to be a life coach with the Academy. So stay tuned to hear more about that!!

While I was busy at my course, David brought Connor & Kailey with him to Florida to visit his Dad & Willean. They had a fabulous time. I was sad to miss out on the fun.

My Dad & Marguerite helped to support me in being able to take my course by taking Caleb & Rachel for a holiday at their home in Cape May Point, New Jersey. They had a great time. The kids apparently were quite busy gardening, going to the farmers' market, & playing in the waves.

After I completed my course I headed down to my parents to spend a few days with Marguerite, Caleb & Rachel before bringing the kids back up to Somerville. The weather in Cape May was just glorious & we had some great fun on the beach. We also enjoyed a fabulous summer meal of lobster, shrimp, steamers, fresh jersey corn & tomatoes...yummy!!

Here are some great shots I got of Caleb & Rachel while at my parents' home. I especially love these photos of Rachel.

This photo of Caleb is in this little hide-away that he created in a spot in my parents garden. It was really pretty cool. I could totally see all the games & adventures this spot would help create in combination with his great imagination. Don't you just remember that kind of thing form your own childhood?

Also, while in Cape May, my Dad helped Rachel purchase her very own digital camera with money she had saved. She got a great little camera & she is very pleased with her purchase.

Here is a photo of Kailey she took with it. I can't wait to see all her photos as she learns to use all the features of her great little camera. I think this will be great for her as the camera will grow with her abilities. This is no kids camera, most adults would be happy to have one like it.
I did get a bit of scrapping done yesterday. I did a page to celebrate the completion of Rachel's first knitting project.

Rachel was very proud to have completed it!

Well...whew...I think I may actually be caught up for the moment!!

Thanks for taking the time to read it.

A New Challenge at Scrapdragon!!

2007-08-15T09:02:00.000-04:00

Do you need something to get your mojo flowing this week?

Well then I have some good news for you...the second challenge is up at Scrapdragon today!!

It is a sketch challenge featuring one of my sketches!

Here is the layout I did for it...

So come on over & join the fun!!